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
Strategic Risk Management Director
The Strategic Risk team is looking for a Strategic Risk Management Director to further accelerate our engagement with the business across diverse initiatives. The Strategic Risk function plays a critical role in protecting Mastercard's enterprise value by identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential risks that could impact our operations, reputation, and strategic objectives. This function is building a proactive, enterprise-wide approach to risk identification, mitigation, and strategic decision-making that aligns with our broader financial and business goals.
The Ideal Candidate: We are seeking a seasoned risk management professional or consultant who combines deep analytical expertise with strategic vision and exceptional stakeholder management skills. The ideal candidate will be adept at translating complex risk landscapes into actionable insights, building governance frameworks from the ground up, and influencing senior leadership through data-driven recommendations. This individual will thrive in ambiguity, demonstrate intellectual curiosity, and possess the executive presence to engage effectively with C-suite stakeholders while building a risk-aware culture across the organization. In addition, the ideal candidate will have exposure to New Product Approval processes and conducting Risk Assessments prior to product launches.
Role
As Strategic Risk Director, you will lead enterprise-wide risk assessment initiatives, provide strategic advisory to senior leadership, and build the foundational processes and tools for Mastercard's Strategic Risk function. This role requires a combination of analytical rigor, strategic thinking, and organizational leadership to establish risk management as a core pillar of business decision-making.
Enabling the Business as a Strategic Advisor:
- Lead end-to-end risk assessments for Mastercard's highest priority strategic initiatives, including M&A transactions, new market entry, new products, and significant partnerships
- Serve as a trusted advisor to senior management and business leaders on risk implications of strategic initiatives, new product launches, market expansions, acquisitions, and partnership opportunities
- Provide independent challenge to deal teams, product leads, and business stakeholders, ensuring decisions are taken within Mastercard's risk appetite and with full transparency on residual risk exposure
- Prepare executive-ready risk reports for the C-suite, Board of Directors, and Risk Committee to support informed decision-making
- Serve as the connective tissue between business strategy teams and the risk organization, ensuring risk intelligence flows both ways.
Enhancing Strategic Risk Frameworks and Processes
- Own and evolve the Strategic Risk Frameworks, ensuring it is integrated with Mastercard's Enterprise Risk Management Framework
- Define enhancements needed to the Company's Risk Taxonomy, incorporating outputs from previous assessments, regulatory guidance, or analysis performed to enter new industries
- Partner with the other Risk colleagues (1LoD and 2LoD) to ensure frameworks are aligned across the different organizations
- Design and implement processes and tools that enable scalable identification, measurement, monitoring, and control of strategic risks. This includes thinking about Risk as a Product.
Providing Visibility to Executives
- Establish dashboards, and reporting mechanisms that provide real-time visibility into the Strategic Risk’s pipeline
- Create and own delivery of materials leveraged for SteerCo meetings with a clear storyline and ask for Executives
All About You:
We are looking for an exceptional leader who brings both risk management expertise and the strategic acumen to shape how Mastercard approaches enterprise risk in a rapidly evolving global payments landscape.
Professional Skills
- Master’s degree in risk management, Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or related field; relevant professional certifications (FRM, PRM, CFA, or similar) highly valued
- Extensive and progressive experience in enterprise risk management, strategic risk, management consulting or internal strategy roles within large, complex, multinational organizations
- Demonstrated expertise in risk assessment methodologies, risk frameworks, and governance structures, with proven ability to design and implement risk management programs from inception
- Deep understanding of the financial services industry, payments ecosystem, regulatory landscape, and emerging risks including cybersecurity, digital transformation, and geopolitical uncertainties
- Exceptional analytical and critical thinking skills with ability to synthesize complex information from multiple sources into clear, actionable insights and executive-ready recommendations
- Proven track record of influencing and partnering with senior executives and C-suite stakeholders, with strong executive presence and ability to communicate risk concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Strategic mindset with ability to balance enterprise-wide risk oversight with business enablement, understanding that effective risk management supports rather than hinders innovation and growth
- Strong project management capabilities with experience leading cross-functional initiatives, managing competing priorities, and delivering results in fast-paced, dynamic environments
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to distill complex risk scenarios into compelling narratives and presentations for diverse stakeholder groups
- Exemplary storytelling that allows for the delivery of key messages to C-suite Executives and convergence in case of ambiguity
Experience working in global, matrixed organizations with demonstrated ability to drive alignment across diverse geographic regions and business units.
Preferred:
- Experience with AI platforms, data analytics tools, and visualization software that enable quick iteration and development of tools and dashboards
- Experience building or scaling risk management functions within high-growth technology companies or financial services organizations undergoing digital transformation
- Track record of thought leadership in risk management through publications, speaking engagements, or industry forum participation.
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 require accommodations or assistance to complete the online application process or during the recruitment process, please contact
[email protected] and identify the type of accommodation or assistance you are requesting. Do not include any medical or health information in this email. The Reasonable Accommodations team will respond to your email promptly.
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.
In line with Mastercard’s total compensation philosophy and assuming that the job will be performed in Canada, the successful candidate will be offered a competitive pay based on location, experience and other qualifications for the role and may be eligible to participate in a discretionary annual incentive program. This posting reflects one or more current openings on our team.
Pay Ranges
Toronto, Canada: $138,000 - $221,000 CAD
