Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE: MA) today announced that its board of directors has named Harit Talwar as an independent director, effective April 1, 2022.
“Harit is a unique leader who has had great success in the consumer payments, digital and traditional banking worlds,” said Merit Janow, independent chair of Mastercard’s board of directors. “His accomplishments in payments speak for themselves, as he delivered results and consumer value at every step in a global and groundbreaking career. We expect his experiences will deepen the Board’s ability to provide guidance to the company for the next phase of our growth.”
Throughout his 35-year career, Talwar has held various payments and consumer banking leadership positions across the globe. Most recently, he led the creation of Marcus, Goldman Sachs’ first consumer business. In just five years, Marcus became one of the world’s largest neobanks.
Previously, he was chief marketing officer of Discover Financial Services and president of the company’s U.S. cards business. He also served as managing director of Morgan Stanley’s Consumer Banking Group International following a 15-year tenure at Citi, which saw him leading businesses across Europe, India, the Middle East and North America.
He currently serves as co-chairman of the American India Foundation and sits on the Asia Society’s global board of trustees. He is also a founder and trustee of Ashoka University, a liberal arts school focused on helping students prepare to be ethical leaders in an increasingly complex world.
Talwar holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Delhi University and a Master of Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad.