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Mastercard appoints division president for Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei

Mastercard, a multinational payment-solutions company, appointed Safdar Khan as its division president for Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

According to the company’s statement, Khan was previously Mastercard Group’s country manager in charge of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

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Safdar Khan.

He played the key role in establishing Mastercard’s sharia-compliant payment solutions for Southeast Asia’s Muslim community. He has been in the company’s senior management since the last 10 years.

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Khan’s experience in banking and payment services accounts for more than 20 years. Prior to joining Mastercard, Khan worked for other global banking companies such as Citibank and ABN Amro, covering North America and Asia.

Now he will also be in charge of encouraging the implementation of digital payment technology.

Previously based in Kuala Lumpur, Khan and his division will now be headquartered in Jakarta. Mastercard considers this a move towards recognition of Southeast Asia’s developing countries, whose economy has been predicted to be worth billions of dollars.

The move was also triggered by the formation of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), where the ongoing economic integration gives a potential for Mastercard to gain influence.

Safdar Khan’s appointment would serve as evidence of Mastercard’s focus in building a strong, relevant and influential business in Southeast Asia.

This appointment shows our continuing commitment to empower the great leaders who can encourage innovations and inclusion in a meaningful and interconnected way,” Mastercard Asia Pacific co-president Ari Sarker said.

Sarker also appreciated Khan’s profound knowledge about the customers, regulators and government bodies.

(Source: Jakarta Globe)