Mastercard has appointed Yasemin Bedir as President of its Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) region, effective 1 September.

Based in Dubai, Bedir will oversee strategy and operations across the region’s 81 countries, working with retailers, fintechs, financial institutions, governments, and businesses, and will join Mastercard’s Management Committee.

Bedir said the teams she has worked with at Mastercard, and their dedication to meeting customer needs, have inspired her.

She added that she intends to build on the foundation Dosis’s leadership helped the regional team establish.

Bedir joined Mastercard in 2007.

Most recently, she served as Division President for Eastern Europe for four years, guiding the team through a complex geopolitical and regulatory environment.

Earlier in her Mastercard career, she was General Manager for Turkey and Azerbaijan.

She later oversaw community institution and processor relationships in North America for nearly five years.

Sachin Mehra, Chief Business Officer at Mastercard, said Bedir “finds the best in her teams to help them deliver the greatest impact” for customers.

He called the EEMEA region vast and complex, one that demands creative thinking and strong relationships.

The teams she has worked with at Mastercard, and their dedication to meeting customer needs, have inspired Bedir, she said.

She added that she intends to build on the foundation Dosis’s leadership helped the regional team establish.

Before Mastercard, Bedir worked at HSBC, Garanti Bank, and Yapı Kredi in Turkey.

She is among the founders of the Professional Women Network and has led initiatives supporting SME growth.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News UAE based on an image by Who is Danny via Magnific.