From Mastercard, Singapore, January, 2022
Mastercard announced that Safdar Khan has been named Division President for Southeast Asia. This appointment is an expansion of his former role as Division President, Southeast Asia Emerging Markets.
A 15-year veteran of Mastercard, Khan’s previous role saw him building business momentum with an
assertive distribution strategy and expanding revenue by growing the company’s Services offerings. He
will now be responsible for implementing Mastercard’s multi-rail digital payments agenda in 10
Southeast Asian markets and delivering increased value to the company’s stakeholders.
“As one of the most diverse, dynamic regions in the world, Southeast Asia encompasses countries with
wide variation in economic development, business needs and cultural nuances,” said Ari Sarker,
President, Asia Pacific, Mastercard. “The leader that oversees this division must have a deep
understanding of the bloc as a whole, as well as the individual markets within it, and must also possess
the capability to manage these complexities with incredible skill. Safdar Khan, with his rock-solid track
record of strong leadership, strategic capabilities and experience in the region, is ideally suited to take
on this position which will give him greater space to push forward with innovative approaches in this
group of markets.”
During Khan’s tenure as Division President, Southeast Asia Emerging Markets, he was instrumental in
launching several firsts in the region including dual-chip cards and QR-on-Card technology in Vietnam.
Under his able leadership, Mastercard has undertaken strategic partnerships in Indonesia to build and
sustain local relevance, gaining market share leadership. Khan also played a key role in taking
Mastercard’s cyber and intelligence solutions beyond the payments industry. He was also a key player in
the signing of a MoU with Thailand’s Digital Economy Promotion Agency, which inducted 27 Thai cities
into Mastercard’s City Possible global network, becoming the largest cohort to join the expanding
community of member cities.
“Having worked in markets across the globe, I’ve witnessed the evolution of digital needs for
governments, consumers and businesses. To me, Southeast Asia is the most dynamic landscape for
payments technologies,” said Safdar Khan, Division President, Southeast Asia, Mastercard.
“Mastercard has helped to drive the rapid shift in consumer behavior that has seen people across
Southeast Asia move at lightning speed from relying on cash to contactless payments, and more
recently, mobile payments. This has provided an opportunity to empower individuals and businesses,
especially merchants, with innovative payments solutions that enable safer, faster, more convenient
options to transact. It has been a pleasure to see the implementation of Mastercard’s solutions making a
difference in the lives of people across the region, and especially for micro and small businesses.”
Khan started his career with Mastercard in 2006 and has since held numerous leadership positions
across multiple regions, including Division President, Indonesia, Malaysia & Brunei, Country Manager
Malaysia & Brunei, Country Manager Qatar, Oman & Kuwait, as well as Lead, HSBC Global Key Account,
South Asia, Middle East & Africa.
Prior to Mastercard, he held pivotal roles in financial services, technology and e-businesses, in
companies such as ABN Amro, Citibank and Oracle, across North America, Asia and the Middle East.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
