Vice President of Strategy Consulting for Acquiring Ecosystem

Requirements

• 12+ years of experience in management consulting, payments, acquiring/acceptance, or financial services
• Proven track record of P&L ownership and driving revenue growth in a consulting or professional services environment
• Deep domain expertise in acquiring, acceptance, merchant services, and payment ecosystem dynamics
• Demonstrated ability to productize and commercialize consulting offerings at scale
• Strong executive presence with board-level communication skills
• Experience leading cross‑functional, global teams in a matrixed organization
• Familiarity with embedded consulting, platform‑based delivery, and AI‑augmented consulting models
• Track record of building trusted, long‑term client relationships at C‑suite level
• MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred

Preferred Background

• Prior role as Partner, VP, Practice Lead, or equivalent at a top‑tier consulting firm or payments company
• Experience with acquirers, PSPs, PayFacs, fintechs, or merchant platforms
• Understanding of Mastercard products, services, and franchise ecosystem
• Familiarity with value‑based pricing, outcome‑based commercial models, and pay‑for‑performance frameworks
• Exposure to agentic commerce, and digital payment innovation

Domain Expertise & Consulting Mastery — Brings deep expertise in the acceptance and acquiring vertical, staying ahead of market trends and emerging practices. Applies insights to shape relevant and impactful client solutions and deliver differentiated value.

Strategic Mindset — Thinks long‑term and systemically, envisioning future scenarios and crafting bold strategies to sustain competitive advantage. Translates vision into actionable roadmaps that accelerate organizational goals.

Innovation & Thought Leadership — Challenges conventional thinking and champions creative solutions. Evaluates market potential of new ideas, mobilizes teams to implement them, and builds momentum around innovation across the enterprise.

Communication & Stakeholder Collaboration — Communicates with clarity, empathy, and influence. Tailors messaging to diverse audiences, fosters open dialogue, and models enterprise‑wide collaboration. Builds trust and alignment across stakeholders.

Execution & Outcome Orientation — Drives results with urgency and precision. Converts ideas into action, mobilizes teams, and ensures accountability. Maintains visibility on progress and performance, adapting swiftly to dynamic conditions.

Global Perspective & Cultural Agility — Navigates cross‑cultural environments with sensitivity and adaptability. Builds inclusive teams, leverages global insights, and fosters collaboration across geographies.

What the job involves

The VP - Strategy Consulting for Acquiring Ecosystem leads the Acceptance Consulting vertical globally, with end‑to‑end accountability for driving revenue growth across advisory, innovation, and deployment. As a credible and trusted thought leader, this role shapes the market narrative for acquirers, PSPs, PayFacs, merchants, fintechs, and government clients — translating deep domain expertise and market intelligence into scalable, productized consulting solutions. The role is central to the Consulting Vision 2030, unlocking vertical potential in underpenetrated acceptance segments, while embedding consulting directly into Mastercard platforms to accelerate the Mastercard flywheel.

Market Intelligence & Client Credibility — Maintain an in‑depth understanding of acceptance market needs, trends, and competitive dynamics. Be a credible, trusted advisor to C‑suite clients across traditional acquirers, fintechs, PSPs, merchants, and government entities. Lead high‑impact client workshops, executive sessions, and strategic pursuits.

Product Strategy & Productization — Define, build, and evolve the Acceptance Consulting product roadmap. Package consulting IP into scalable, repeatable solutions. Drive "bundling by default" with adjacent Mastercard products and services (like Gateway, Cloud Commerce, or MPGS) and champion embedded consulting by integrating acceptance advisory directly into Mastercard platforms — turning platform touchpoints into a consulting entry point. Define innovative commercial and pricing approaches, including subscription, outcome‑based, and pay‑for‑performance models, that reflect the shift from project‑based to platform‑embedded consulting.

Go‑to‑Market & Sales Enablement — Develop and execute go‑to‑market strategies, regional playbooks and sales enablement materials. Partner closely with Sales and Business Development teams, ensuring they are fully equipped to sell acceptance consulting solutions. Serve as a client‑facing expert sales resource when required and support the refresh of sales materials and narratives.

End‑to‑End Product & Revenue Ownership — Carry full end‑to‑end accountability for the Acceptance Consulting vertical — spanning P&L ownership, revenue performance, product strategy and lifecycle, and partnership with A&CS. This is not solely a revenue‑oriented role; it requires owning the entire consulting value chain from ideation through advisory, innovation (Digital Labs), and deploy/execution. Ensure the product suite, delivery capacity, commercial models, and talent are aligned and operating as one integrated engine to drive sustainable, profitable growth.

Delivery Excellence & Cross‑Functional Collaboration — Develop and refine scalable delivery models, playbooks, and accelerators to ensure flawless, efficient execution. Establish value‑based and performance‑linked commercial models (fixed fee, subscription, outcome‑based, hybrid) and drive consulting economics discipline across price, margin, and utilization. Interface with Mastercard leadership across all business units, and regional teams. Work closely with A&CS Delivery, Business Development, and the AI/Data team. Manage strategic external partnerships to extend reach, capability, and market impact.

Thought Leadership & Market Authority — Set and drive the thought leadership agenda for the Acceptance Consulting vertical. Rather than serving as the sole contributor, this leader unlocks and orchestrates thought leadership at scale — mobilizing the practice, A&CS delivery teams, regional experts, and cross‑functional partners to author whitepapers, curate webinars, and publish signature research. Inspire new topics that resonate with the market, secure executive attention and visibility for acceptance themes, and position Mastercard as the definitive voice in acquiring and acceptance consulting. Champion bootcamps, case study programs, and training curricula that build credibility across the ecosystem and deepen acumen across Data & Services. Serve as a true global leader who leads through influence, not hierarchy. While directly managing a small core team, the VP must galvanize, inspire, and align many cross‑functional partners across regions who do not sit in a direct reporting line. Build followership through credibility, vision, and energy — earning the right to mobilize a deeply matrixed organization. Champion a culture of innovation, collaboration, and client obsession that extends well beyond the immediate team.