Empowering people to thrive in the new world of work

A few days ago we brought our entire Asia Pacific salesforce together for a virtual summit. Teams across the region gathered in meeting rooms and tuned in from home to celebrate some of the amazing work of the past year, and to connect on our strategy going forward.

Despite many of us not being able to meet in person, it was a timely reminder of how – even in the face of many challenges over the past several years – we have continued to work tirelessly as One Mastercard. I remain inspired by how our teams adjusted and responded to new ways of working, and how they continue to deliver on the promises we've made to our customers, despite the roadblocks thrown up by pandemic conditions.

This shows me, once again, that it is the people who make a company, something that is certainly true at Mastercard. And it reinforces for me how important it is that our people feel empowered to be the best they can be every day. Which ultimately comes down to one thing: trust. 

As leaders, we must work harder than ever to build trust among our teams. 

This may not be the most glamorous aspect of leadership, but it is the most important. And as we all know, trust is not a given. It is earned over time through our actions rather than our words.

For me, this has meant ensuring that our people are fully supported whether they're working in the office, at home, or in a hybrid arrangement. We want our people to feel comfortable in the decisions they make, secure in the knowledge that they have the tools, team and technology to reach their goals and drive our customers’ businesses forward. I'm confident this strategy is working and yielding results for both our partners and Mastercard.

Coming out of the summit, our team is invigorated and empowered, ready to tackle the challenges and opportunities ahead with gusto. I look forward to collaborating, innovating, and inspiring one another in the months ahead.