Our Purpose
Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.
Title and Summary
SVP, Chief Risk Officer, Mastercard Europe
Overview:
At Mastercard, risk management is fundamental to achieving our strategic objectives and maintaining the trust of customers, regulators, shareholders and employees. Mastercard is committed to the highest standards of integrity, governance and risk management.
The SVP, Chief Risk Officer, Mastercard Europe, is a senior leadership role within the Risk organization, reporting to the Head of Enterprise Risk Management and Global Markets Risk Oversight.
The role is responsible for providing independent second-line oversight of Mastercard Europe's risk profile, governance framework, risk culture and control environment. The CRO serves as the primary risk advisor to MCE executive management, the MCE Board, Board Risk Committee and regulators, while ensuring alignment with Mastercard's global risk management framework and applicable regulatory expectations.
Role:
1. Risk Governance & Framework
• Own, maintain and continuously enhance the MCE Enterprise Risk Management Framework
• Ensure alignment of the regional risk framework with Mastercard's global risk management policies, standards and methodologies
• Maintain and periodically review the Europe risk taxonomy, governance model, policies and procedures
Establish and maintain effective three-lines-of-defense governance across the organization
• Maintain the enterprise risk assessment process and risk governance standards across all material business activities
• Maintain a comprehensive risk register that accurately reflects the organization's risk profile and emerging risk landscape
• Chair designated MCE risk governance committees and provide effective oversight of risk governance processes
• Ensure risk management practices remain aligned with evolving regulatory expectations and industry best practices
2. Risk Appetite, Monitoring & Reporting
• Develop, maintain and periodically review the MCE Risk Appetite Statement and supporting metrics
• Monitor adherence to risk appetite and ensure timely identification, escalation and remediation of breaches
• Oversee risk aggregation, risk measurement and risk reporting processes
• Maintain the quality, integrity and governance of risk data used for monitoring and reporting purposes
• Provide regular and ad hoc reporting to executive management, the MCE Board Risk Committee, the MCE Board and Mastercard Risk leadership
• Deliver clear, actionable and risk-based insights regarding material, emerging and escalating risks
• Ensure risk reporting supports informed strategic and commercial decision-making across the organization
3. Independent Oversight, Challenge & Assurance
• Provide independent oversight and constructive challenge of business activities, risk decisions and control effectiveness
• Assess the adequacy and effectiveness of the risk and control environment across all material risk categories
• Support first-line business owners in identifying, assessing, monitoring and mitigating material risks
• Review and challenge risk assessments, control evaluations and remediation plans.
• Conduct thematic reviews and independent assurance activities where elevated risk exposures or control weaknesses are identified
• Establish standards for risk and control management across the organization
• Maintain an effective system of risk and control assurance covering key business processes and risk exposures
• Provide input into Internal Audit's annual risk assessment and audit planning processes
• Collaborate with Compliance, Legal, Data Privacy and other second-line functions to ensure coordinated risk oversight and assurance
4. Regulatory, Executive teal and Board Engagements
• Serve as the primary independent risk representative for Mastercard Europe with regulators and supervisory authorities
• Maintain strong and constructive relationships with relevant regulatory bodies, including prudential and payments regulators
• Support regulatory examinations, reviews, inspections and remediation programs
• Ensure risk management practices comply with applicable regulatory requirements and supervisory expectations
• Provide risk-related assurance to regulators, customers and other stakeholders as required
• Attend regulatory meetings and provide independent risk perspectives and assurance
• Maintain direct and unrestricted access to the MCE Board and Board Risk Committee, including authority to independently escalate material risk concerns where necessary
• Is a member of the MCE Executive Leadership Team
5. Strategic Risk & Business Partnership
• Act as a trusted advisor to executive management on risk-related matters and strategic decision-making
• Provide independent risk assessment and challenge for strategic initiatives, acquisitions, partnerships, outsourcing arrangements, new products, new markets and significant business changes
• Participate in key governance forums to ensure risk considerations are appropriately integrated into business decisions
• Lead the identification, assessment and monitoring of emerging risks, including strategic, geopolitical, operational, technology, cyber, AI and regulatory risks
• Provide active risk oversight of material transformation, change and growth initiatives
• Develop and enhance risk quantification, scenario analysis and stress-testing capabilities
• Assess the potential impact of severe-but-plausible risk scenarios on the organization and its regulatory obligations
• Provide second-line oversight and challenge of operational resilience capabilities, including resilience testing and recovery preparedness
6. Risk Culture & Leadership
• Promote and strengthen a proactive, accountable and risk-aware culture throughout the organization
• Ensure risk ownership and accountability are clearly understood across all levels of the business
• Deliver risk training, awareness and advisory programs to support effective risk management practices
• Foster effective collaboration across first, second and third lines of defense while maintaining independence
• Build strong relationships with senior leaders and key stakeholders across Mastercard globally
• Lead, develop and inspire a high-performing risk organization.
• Champion Mastercard's values and ethical standards in all aspects of leadership and decision-making
All About You:
• Leadership experience operating at a senior executive level within a complex organization
• Demonstrated ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders while maintaining strong business partnerships
• Proven experience presenting to Boards, Board Risk Committees and executive leadership teams
• Strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen and business judgment.
• Ability to operate effectively within complex governance and regulatory environments
• Deep expertise in enterprise risk management frameworks, governance and risk oversight
• Significant experience in risk management leadership roles within financial services, payments, banking, fintech or other highly regulated industries
• Strong understanding of risk appetite frameworks, risk assessment methodologies and control assurance practices
• Experience in stress testing, scenario analysis, risk quantification and emerging risk management
• Strong understanding of commercial, operational, technology, cyber and strategic risk management
• Strong understanding of regulatory expectations relating to governance, risk management and the three-lines-of-defense model
Corporate Security Responsibility
All activities involving access to Mastercard assets, information, and networks comes with an inherent risk to the organization and, therefore, it is expected that every person working for, or on behalf of, Mastercard is responsible for information security and must:
Abide by Mastercard’s security policies and practices;
Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed;
Report any suspected information security violation or breach, and
Complete all periodic mandatory security trainings in accordance with Mastercard’s guidelines.
