Viraj Gupta

Consumers, even in developed markets, experience friction in accessing financial services. I am passionate about solving such problems; getting paid for it makes my job intrinsically rewarding! Currently, I lead Mastercard’s open banking expansion in Latin America, Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa primarily through third-party partnerships that can span from product collaborations to referrals, and all things in-between. For over 15 years, I have launched products, developed strategies, built credit underwriting models, and managed back-end operations across various product lines in the Retail Banking and Payments industry including chequing & savings accounts, card and non-card payments, lines of credit, overdrafts, and certificates of deposits. Over the years, I have won numerous accolades from C-suite executives for my work. I am deeply passionate about building and developing my team. I believe that trust is front and center in developing a high-performing team, and that empathy and candor are important to build that trust. In the various 360-degree feedback surveys over the years, my team has consistently rated me higher than the industry and the organization averages. On a personal level, I am a firm believer in growth mindset and lifelong learning. I see failures as opportunities to improve. I like to read about current business, and economic affairs. I enjoy public speaking and have won several awards at Toastmasters in the past. I follow Cricket and I am a big fan of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. I love the way Virat gives his best in every situation, particularly when the tide is against him. This is also a mantra that I strive to live by. And I admire Dhoni for his leadership and bringing the best out of everyone in the team. I enjoy meeting people, brainstorming ideas, and learning new perspectives. Where my experience can help, I like to mentor people. If you want to talk about payments, open finance, retail banking, or fintechs, please reach out to me. Functional skills: • Product Management and P&L Ownership • Strategic Partnerships • Strategy • New Product Design and Development • Credit Underwriting • Analytics and Financial Modelling • Team building and development Industry expertise: • Consumer Payments • Retail Banking • Lending • Open Banking/Open Finance