As the world's leader in digital payments technology, Visa's mission is to connect the world through the most creative, reliable and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company's dedication to innovation drives the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and fuels the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce.

At Visa, your individuality fits right in. Working here gives you an opportunity to impact the world, invest in your career growth, and be part of an inclusive and diverse workplace. We are a global team of disruptors, trailblazers, innovators and risk-takers who are helping drive economic growth in even the most remote parts of the world, creatively moving the industry forward, and doing meaningful work that brings financial literacy and digital commerce to millions of unbanked and underserved consumers.

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Guatemala and El Salvador Country Manager is responsible for leading Visa’s in-market team and sustaining the optimal operating environment by working collaboratively with key stakeholders such as Visa’s Clients, government, regulators and other players impacting Visa’s business in market.
 

Guatemala and El Salvador Country Manager holds a strategic position, should be able to expertly translate strategy to execution, build high quality relationships with all key stakeholders including clients, staff, regulators and other key partners. Country Manager is adept at collaborating and building support of cross-functional teams, in market and beyond, to deliver the best of Visa to the market.

The Country Manager has overall management responsibility for all aspects of Visa business operations in Guatemala and El Salvador, which includes managing relationships with financial institution clients, acquirers, merchants, regulators, fintechs, and developing and implementing business strategies, leading business operations and leading a growing team. The Country Manager will have overall P&L responsibility for the Visa business in Guatemala and El Salvador, and is expected to effectively develop local initiatives and deploy Visa’s relevant global solutions in Guatemala and El Salvador to strengthen Visa’s position with clients and identify strategic partnerships to drive local and regional business growth. This role, therefore, requires a high quality leader with the capabilities to both drive superior current state performance and lead transformation to enable sustainable outperformance in the future. In addition to strong strategic and execution skills, the leader will have what it takes to motivate, inspire and shape a high performing team through leading with vision and role modelling the behaviors key to delivering our sustainable best.

Major Responsibilities

Strategic and Operational Leadership
•  Lead & champion the development of strategy and execution of these strategies for key business initiatives in Guatemala and El Salvador including market expansion, regulatory management, payment product and solutions development and innovation, protect local processing.
•  Strategically aware of the local development of various industries including payments, banking and financial services, retail and technology or trends and other factors with the potential to impact Visa’s current and future business in Guatemala and El Salvador and beyond.
•  Identify success factors for business growth, develop tactical plans to achieve defined goals, and design and implement effective client relationship and business development strategies.
•  Identify and prioritize new business opportunities in market and determine the appropriate level of resource investment to pursue effectively. Having done that, deliver superior change management in executing with these resources.
•  Lead Visa’s strategy with government, central bank and other regulatory institutions within Guatemala and El Salvador. Engage and align Visa’s strategy with these entities.
•  Maintain a keen focus on a well-developed operational risk and control environment and that a strict adherence to Visa compliance practices is maintained at all times through championing risk ownership and accountability in the markets.
•  Focus on achieving business targets through growing the existing business, identifying new business opportunities and producing and implementing new products and services across the markets.
•  Understand market trends in the region, anticipate challenges and take proactive measures to accomplish targets.
•  Represent Visa across multiple areas from business development to regulatory affairs to corporate and social responsibility. Speak at conferences and business forums and undertake media/public relations activities to drive positive perceptions of the company based on genuine substance.

Client and Stakeholder Partnerships
•  Develop, cultivate and maintain close relationships with client CEOs, management teams, decision-makers and other influencers within Visa’s client banks, acquirers, national banking association, key merchants, merchant associations and partner companies. Be aware of their views on the current state and future prospects for the payments industry, banking and financial services industry, and technology innovation. Also truly understand the end user consumer and business landscape.
•  Understand clients’ unique strategies, priorities, needs and decision making processes and adapt Visa’s approach to dealing with each client appropriately.
•  Share Visa’s views on industry developments with clients and merchants and articulate how Visa products and solutions can enhance their business results.
•  Engage regulators and other government entities in collaboration with the Visa Government Relations team around Visa’s ability to drive stronger economic growth, business innovation and financial inclusion. Additionally, manage any specific prospective or in progress regulatory change.
•  Constantly assess Visa’s client and merchant relationships for ways in which Visa can strengthen its partnerships and drive stronger growth. Ensuring that client account plans are up to date with current priorities and opportunities, aligned with Visa’s functional priorities and that these client account plans are executed with excellence.
•  Lead local client sales, including the design, negotiation and successful signing of long-term partnership agreements; manage the client relationship team to achieve agreed corporate objectives.
•  Understand and articulate how Visa differs from its competitors in terms of business strategies and capabilities, product positioning and pricing, and ability to drive client performance. Actively drive this differentiation and insight.

People Leadership and Management
•  Lead and manage Visa’s Guatemala and El Salvador team, managing Visa’s current talent and hiring new staff to expand the team’s capabilities. As the site leader for the country, actively engage employees with exceptional communications skills and commitment by role modelling the behaviors underlying Visa’s six leadership principles (We lead by example, We communicate openly, We enable & inspire, We excel with partners, We act decisively & We collaborate).
•  Collaborate directly with functions (finance, product, marketing, government relations, merchant sales & solutions, corporate relations, legal, compliance etc.), to ensure that each function contributes to and supports the execution of the strategic agenda of the markets.
•  Model collaboration and influence across functions and geographies, with a constant focus on driving strong results for the broader organization.
•  Ensure that cross-functional teams are fully aligned and briefed about clients’ and business partners’ environment; ensure that strategic plans for the market are developed in conjunction with, understood and shared by the supporting functions within Visa.
•  Attract, develop and retain outstanding talent. Ensure appropriate succession planning is in place for key roles, maximize employee engagement and ensure all staff have meaningful development plans. Create a sense of community and drive a culture of genuine inclusion for the country and beyond.

• A minimum of 16 years of experience including significant experience in sales leadership  in highly successful businesses that have a strong track record of client service, strategic development and execution.
• Strong knowledge of payment industry products, services and technologies, e-Commerce and mobile technology is a plus.
•  International experience ideally within a complex, matrix management organization. Ability to run, grow and protect the franchise collaboratively across functions and geographies.
•  Experience in client-facing roles with multiple key clients and stakeholders, ideally including financial institutions (banks), large retailers, multinationals, governments, local partners, etc.
•  Broad-based functional background emphasizing client relationship management with proven negotiation and deep client management skills.
•  Innovative and agile with ability to adapt to market needs and changing environment. Lead & execute change effectively.
•  Ability to make and build strong connections with government and regulators in markets.
•  Strong commercial and financial acumen.
•  Excellent communication skills.
•  Ability to navigate ambiguity and drive positive outcomes.
•  Cultural sensitivity and global mindset. Deep country knowledge and insight.
•  Minimum degree level qualification, MBA considered valuable.
•  Passionate about leading and developing high performance teams.

Personal Characteristics
•  Self-starter.
•  A connector of people, communities and clients within the country and across Visa.
•  Stature, gravitas, reputation and professional attitude. Courageous, accountable and willing to challenge the status quo, and drive innovation.
•  Highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity. Proven operator in line with the following key attributes; ability to develop strong client partnerships, highly innovative & collaborative, integrity, focus on people development.
•  Curious, actively seeks for feedback, and willingness to learn. Open to try new things, and with a good dose of professional humility.
•  Role models the leadership principles and creates an environment where people can be at their best in order to build a strong community.
•  Resilient and determined.  In a developing market like Guatemala and El Salvador, achieving the potential of the business in the current and future states requires the energy to drive through the many challenges and strong competitive environment.

Visa will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of Article 49 of the San Francisco Police Code.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.