Vice President, AI & Data Strategy

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 Vice President, AI & Data Strategy

Overview The AI and Data Office is responsible for the strategy, acquisition, evaluation, and responsible use of AI and data capabilities that power innovation and operations across Mastercard. Reporting to the Senior Vice President, AI & Data Strategy, the Vice President will partner with Technology and People & Capabilities (P&C) leaders to define and execute enterprise AI and data strategies that accelerate business priorities, strengthen decision-making, and enable innovation at scale.

This role sits at the intersection of strategy, execution, and governance—translating business priorities into actionable AI and data initiatives, addressing capability gaps, and enabling scalable, responsible adoption across a complex, global organization.

Role Responsibilities

• Define and drive the AI and data strategy roadmap across the Technology and P&C organizations, ensuring alignment to enterprise priorities and measurable business outcomes.
• Partner with senior leaders to translate business priorities into AI and data initiatives while identifying and addressing gaps in capabilities, operating models, and governance.
• Serve as a strategic advisor on internal and third-party AI and data capabilities, guiding evaluation, prioritization, and implementation of high-impact AI and data solutions.
• Lead the adoption of data and AI design practices for new products, services, and enterprise initiatives, including data requirements, AI intake, Data Briefs, Data Flows, and supporting materials required for product management and governance processes.
• Build strong relationships across Technology, P&C, and enterprise stakeholder groups to champion AI and data best practices and strengthen organizational readiness.
• Represent Mastercard externally as a senior voice in the AI and data space, helping advance the company’s reputation, perspective, and strategic objectives.
• Define, track, and communicate success metrics for the function, including AI intake throughput, strategy adoption, and other relevant indicators of progress and impact.
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, operational ownership, and execution excellence across cross-functional teams.

All About You

• Proven experience defining and executing enterprise-scale AI and data strategies in complex, matrixed organizations.
• Strong understanding of AI, data, analytics, and governance, with the ability to connect technical capabilities to business value.
• Deep understanding of the Payments and/or Fintech industry, especially the underlying technology stacks.
• Exceptional executive communication and stakeholder management skills, with a demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders across business, product, and technology functions globally.
• Strong business and financial acumen, with experience assessing trade-offs, prioritizing investments, and supporting cost-efficiency objectives.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and build strong relationships across diverse stakeholder groups in complex, matrixed environments.
• Ability to shape practical strategies and operating plans that define how data and AI are governed, prioritized, and applied to support business objectives.
• Experience working with enterprise HR systems (e.g., Workday), with the ability to align AI and data strategies to people, workforce, and capability data to enable more effective talent and organizational decision-making.
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced environments with a high degree of complexity, ambiguity, and executive visibility.

Mastercard is a merit-based, inclusive, equal opportunity employer that considers applicants without regard to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disabled or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We hire the most qualified candidate for the role. In the US or Canada, if you requi…