Last year, MasterCard acquired DataCash, a European payment service provider.

In his new role, Bhalla will provide leadership and management for MasterCard's global end-to-end Gateway processing solutions organizations - DataCash and MIGs - as well as the associated DataCash Fraud Tool and Risk Management services. He will be responsible for the profitability of the business, the operations and ongoing business integration, as well as developing the long-term vision, strategies and marketing plans that support global market expansion through new channels and service offerings.

Bhalla has more than 20 years experience in the financial services industry. He joined MasterCard in 1992 and most recently served as division president for South East and South Asia (SESA). While leading SESA, he introduced a number of new technologies, including PayPass, and also helped to develop the MasterCard Titanium card, which has since been launched globally for the affluent market. Bhalla also launched successful partnerships with non-financial institutions, such as one that enabled MasterCard cardholders to use PayPass on Singapore's public transportation network. Lastly he was instrumental in developing a payment solution for 'Aadharr', a 12-digit Unique Identification Number (UID) which captures basic demographic and biometric information of Indian citizens significantly increasing MasterCard's contribution to financial inclusion across India.

Prior to joining MasterCard, Bhalla held positions at HSBC and Xerox.