Vice President, AI & Data Strategy - Open Finance

Vice President, AI & Data Strategy – Open Finance

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 Open Finance and broader Services leaders to define and execute AI and data strategies that accelerate product innovation, strengthen decision-making, and enable scalable growth across a complex, regulated ecosystem.

This role sits at the intersection of product strategy, data governance, and AI enablement—translating business priorities into actionable AI and data initiatives, addressing capability and regulatory gaps, and enabling responsible adoption across Open Finance products, platforms, and partnerships. The role requires deep domain expertise across payments, Open Banking/Open Finance, and data ecosystems, combined with strong strategic judgment and executive influence.

Role Responsibilities:

• Define and drive the AI and data strategy roadmap across Open Finance and Services, ensuring alignment to product priorities, regulatory requirements, and measurable business outcomes.
• Partner with business, product, and technology leaders to translate Open Finance priorities into AI and data initiatives while identifying and addressing gaps in data capabilities, governance, and operating models.
• Serve as a strategic advisor on internal and third-party data and AI capabilities, guiding evaluation, prioritization, and implementation of high-impact solutions across Open Finance use cases.
• Drive the application of AI and data across Open Finance products, including customer data, transaction data, and external data sources, to enhance product capabilities, risk management, and customer outcomes.
• Lead adoption of data and AI design practices across products and enterprise initiatives, including data requirements, AI intake, and governance processes aligned with regulatory and compliance standards.
• Ensure alignment with regulatory, data privacy, and compliance requirements, including Open Banking frameworks, data sharing standards, and evolving global regulatory expectations.
• Partner closely with data governance, privacy engineering, and risk teams to enable responsible AI adoption and ensure appropriate data usage, controls, and safeguards.
• Build strong relationships across Open Finance, Services, and enterprise stakeholders to champion AI and data best practices and strengthen organizational readiness.
• Represent Mastercard externally as a senior voice in Open Finance and AI, engaging with clients, partners, and industry stakeholders to advance Mastercard's strategy and reputation.
• Define, track, and communicate success metrics, including AI adoption, product impact, and other indicators of strategy effectiveness and business value.
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, operational ownership, and execution excellence across cross-functional teams.

All About You:

• Proven experience defining and executing AI and data strategies in product-led, highly regulated environments, preferably within payments, fintech, or Open Finance ecosystems.
• Deep understanding of Open Finance and Open Banking, including card and A2A payment systems, data flows, external data sources, and customer data ecosystems.
• Strong knowledge of regulatory, compliance, and data governance requirements, including data privacy, risk management, and responsible AI practices.
• Experience partnering with data governance, privacy engineering, and compliance teams to enable secure and responsible use of data and AI.
• Strong understanding of AI, data, and analytics, with the ability to connect technical capabilities to product strategy, commercial outcomes, and customer value.
• Exceptional executive communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence C-level leaders across product, technology, and business organizations globally.
• Strong business and financial acumen, with experience prioritizing investments and driving cost-efficient, scalable solutions.
• 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 models that define how AI and data are governed, prioritized, and applied across products and platforms.
• Experience working with complex data ecosystems and multiple data sources, including internal, partner, and third-party data environments.
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced, highly dynamic environments with significant complexity, ambiguity, and executive visibility.

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 the US, the successful candidate will be offered a competitive base salary and may be eligible for an annual bonus or commissions depending on the role. The base salary offered may vary depending on multiple factors, including but not limited to location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Mastercard benefits for full time (and certain part time) employees generally include: insurance (including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, disability, life insurance); flexible spending account and health savings account; paid leaves (including 16 weeks of new parent leave and up to 20 days of bereavement leave); 80 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time, 25 days of vacation time and 5 personal days, pro-rated based on date of hire; 10 annual paid U.S. observed holidays; 401k with a best-in-class company match; deferred compensation for eligible roles; fitness reimbursement or on-site fitness facilities; eligibility for tuition reimbursement; and many more. Mastercard benefits for interns generally include: 56 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time; jury duty leave; and on-site fitness facilities in some locations.

Pay Ranges:

Purchase, New York: $235,000 - $375,000 USD

Arlington, Virginia: $235,000 - $375,000 USD

New York City, New York: $245,000 - $391,000 USD

O'Fallon, Missouri: $204,000 - $326,000 USD