Visa is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating more than 215 billion payments transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories each year. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive.

When you join Visa, you join a culture of purpose and belonging – where your growth is priority, your identity is embraced, and the work you do matters. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere. Your work will have a direct impact on billions of people around the world – helping unlock financial access to enable the future of money movement.

Join Visa: A Network Working for Everyone.

The Head of Risk Strategy & Operations will be responsible for developing the Visa CEMEA Risk Strategy and supporting in-market Risk teams in its successful execution. In addition, the role will assume direct responsibility for regional execution of key global risk programs such as Ecosystem Risk, Enterprise Risk Management, Product & Innovation Risk, Cyber Intelligence & Investigations and Risk Analytics.

The successful candidate will be a catalyst for transforming Visa’s risk strategy and solutions offered to issuers, acquirers and merchants, with the end goal of championing security and forging deeper client relationships. The position reports into Visa’s CEMEA Regional Risk Officer (RRO).

With new and diverse players entering the payments ecosystem, constant innovation and increased government intervention, the industry is becoming highly complex with the risks landscape evolving quickly. Therefore, a critical objective for this leader will be to refresh the risk strategy as new developments arise, track success metrics and ensure smooth and consistent execution of the strategy across all CEMEA markets.

The successful candidate will be an exceptional leader with a deep understanding of the payments industry, expected to be a strong team player with the ability to organize and mobilize his/her direct team and partner effectively with internal partners and external stakeholders. The successful candidate will be a results-oriented, highly-motivated leader who will function well within a global, matrix organization.

Key Responsibilities

The Head of Risk Strategy & Operations will assist the Regional Risk Offer to build a more strategic, dynamic and productive Risk organization. Specifically he/she will:

• Develop and drive Visa’s CEMEA Risk Strategy, in conjunction with in-market Risk leads.
• Lead the Ecosystem Risk team in the execution of Data Security and Franchise Risk Mgmt programs with global coordination.
• Ensure in-market Risk leads and their direct reports are enabled to be the trusted voice on industry security issues, differentiating Visa in the eyes of our clients and other stakeholders.
• Develop and enhance capabilities in Analytics, Client Engagement, Risk Communication, Compromise Management and Risk Products Sales Support.
• Enhance the effectiveness of Visa’s local Risk teams and Global Risk function by pursuing initiatives and process enhancements identified in annual planning sessions, performance audits, quarterly business reviews and issue-driven roadmaps.
• Influence and partner with internal stakeholders within Visa’s global and matrix organization to better serve clients, for instance, liaise with Solutions, Government Engagement, Compliance, Legal, Strategy
• Develop a comprehensive set of performance metrics to manage the overall financials, delivery, execution, and partner feedback and talent management
• Transform the dynamic between in-market Risk leads and clients to enhance the perception of Visa’s value
• Anticipate client’s changing needs and drive the direction of new products and services accordingly
• Eliminate waste – help in-market Risk teams to focus on only those activities that are highly compelling & valuable

Critical Competencies for Success

Risk Experience: The ideal candidate is an accomplished enterprise and operational risk leader with deep experience in the payments industry. 

• Track record for successfully identifying and mitigating enterprise and operational risk for a complex, global company in a regulated industry.
• Experience protecting consumer and corporate data through the development and implementation of rigorous compliance & rules management processes.
• Demonstrated approach to risk management contributing to brand and business growth.

Strategic vision and critical thinking: Within the context of a transformation of Visa’s relationships and the value-added it provides to its clients, the Head of Risk Strategy & Operations will be a leader who creates a clear strategy and vision for the organization and demonstrates the related impact on cross business initiatives by:

• Making inferential leaps in thinking so as to reach a solution despite incomplete information or ambiguity.
• Stepping back from day-to-day activities to view the business from different perspectives and to see the bigger picture.
• Using facts to support observations and closely tracking industry and competitive trends as well as regulatory and legislative changes that can affect (negatively or positively) bottom line results for the organization.
• Making decisions thoughtfully, despite the complexity of the issues or the pressure involved.

Business achievement/performance driven: Against the backdrop of a highly competitive and rapidly changing business environment, the Head of Risk Strategy & Operations will be a focused/results-oriented executive who:

• Constantly has an eye on the bottom-line impact of recommendations by pushing back on projects that do not add real economic or strategic marketing value.
• Improves business effectiveness, driving through strategy, and reviews the way things are done and brings about changes that deliver bottom-line performance.
• Develops a solid understanding of the competitive marketing landscape, as well as the customer and consumer orientation.
• Demonstrates a real sense of urgency, while remaining calm under pressure.
• Rigorously prioritizes issues and projects.
• Intellectually curious- finds stories in the data, asks the right questions, demonstrated track record of mining data & intelligence for game-changing insights that generate big impacts.

Collaboration and influencing skills: In the context of working in a complex organization with a matrix management structure, this executive will demonstrate an ability to achieve business objectives by:

• Identifying the key constituents and stakeholders required to effect change and developing an understanding of their perspectives.
• Building internal relationships and working effectively with others to jointly address issues and opportunities.
• Communicating frequently and effectively with all stakeholders. Articulating views crisply and convincingly, adapting style so as to have the greatest impact on a given audience.
• Catalyzing dialogue, shaping thinking, gaining support, influencing others, positively managing conflict and projecting substance over form.
• Drives agreement through intellect, interpersonal skills and negotiation skills.

Team leadership: In heading a large, dispersed, global organization, the successful candidate will have a strong following and reputation for developing organizational talent and building high performing teams by:

• Creating an environment where established ways of thinking can be proactively challenged and evolved.
• Leading teams with disciplined and systematic program/process management skills, moving smoothly from identification/evaluation of strategic options through execution.
• Clearly defining roles and responsibilities, and accountability for results.
• Track record of building highly motivated and engaged teams