Job Description
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 VP 1 LOD Risk Champion Digital Assets
Vice President (VP), Risk Champion – Digital Assets Product
Overview
Mastercard’s Digital Assets Product team is seeking a Vice President (VP), Risk Champion to serve as a First Line of Defense (1LoD) risk leader across its expanding suite of digital asset offerings, including Crypto Flows, Crypto Credential, Multi-Token Network (MTN), and adjacent market expansion initiatives.
This is a critical role at the intersection of innovation and risk, ensuring Mastercard’s Digital Assets portfolio scales safely, responsibly, and in alignment with enterprise standards. The Risk Champion will play a central role in enabling sustainable growth in one of Mastercard’s most strategic and rapidly evolving areas.
This role is a strategic position embedded within the business, responsible for ensuring that risk management is effectively integrated into product strategy, commercialization, and operations. The Risk Champion will act as a critical bridge between the Digital Assets product organization and Second Line of Defense (2LoD) partners, including Risk, Compliance, Treasury, and cross-functional teams such as Operations, CRM, and MTS. This leader will bring strong influence, governance, and execution discipline to ensure responsible innovation in a rapidly evolving digital asset ecosystem.
Role & Responsibilities
1. Risk Program Leadership & Embedding
• Drive the integration of the 1LoD risk framework across all Digital Assets product offerings and market expansion initiatives
• Embed risk management into business strategy, product development, commercialization, and operational processes
• Ensure risk considerations are incorporated into resource allocation, prioritization, and decision-making
2. Risk Appetite Alignment
• Ensure all Digital Assets activities operate within Mastercard’s enterprise risk appetite
• Balance growth and innovation objectives with appropriate risk controls and governance
• Provide guidance to product and regional leaders on acceptable risk thresholds and trade-offs
3. Enterprise Risk Assessments
• Oversee and conduct the execution of risk assessments across the Digital Assets portfolio with cross-functional partners
• Ensure consistency and completeness across product lines and geographies
4. Risk Governance, Committees & Escalation
• Ensure material risks, issues, and mitigation plans are:
o Reviewed in Business Risk Control Committees (BRCC) or relevant entity-level committees
o Escalated appropriately to the Executive Risk Committee (ERC)
• Represent Digital Assets in key risk governance forums and influence decision-making
5. 2LoD & Cross-Functional Coordination
• Serve as primary liaison between the Digital Assets business and:
o Risk Management
o Compliance
o Legal / Regulatory
o Treasury
o CRM
• Coordinate risk-related deliverables and program execution across Operations, CRM, MTS, and regional teams
• Facilitate alignment on risk controls, regulatory requirements, and market entry strategies
6. Strategic Advisory & Market Expansion Support
• Partner with Digital Assets leadership to enable responsible market expansion and product scaling
• Provide risk-informed guidance on:
o New product launches
o Regulatory readiness in new markets
o Emerging risks in digital assets (e.g., crypto, tokenization, network risks)
Qualifications & Experience
• Experience:
o Strong background in strategy, operations, or product management
o Working knowledge of risk management frameworks and regulatory environments
o Experience in digital assets, fintech, payments, or emerging technology domains strongly preferred
• Risk Expertise:
o Understanding of enterprise risk management (ERM), operational risk, and regulatory compliance
o Ability to navigate and influence within a 3 Lines of Defense model
• Executive Influence: Demonstrated ability to operate with a “seat at the table” and influence senior stakeholders
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to connect risk management to business growth and innovation
• Cross-functional Leadership: Proven ability to drive alignment across diverse global teams
• Communication: Strong executive presence with the ability to clearly articulate risk priorities to business leadership and senior executives
• Decision-Making: Exercises sound judgment in balancing risk, compliance, and commercial objectives
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.
Job Tags
Full time, Worldwide