Mastercard Eyes New Fintech Opportunities Across Middle East, Africa
Quick Reads:
- Mastercard names Yasemin Bedir President of its Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) region
- Bedir succeeds Dimitrios Dosis, now Mastercard’s chief commercial payments officer
- New role covers 81 countries and joins Mastercard’s Management Committee
- Focus areas include retailers, fintechs, financial institutions, governments and businesses
- Bedir previously led Mastercard’s Eastern Europe division for four years
Mastercard is signalling fresh confidence in the retail fintech opportunity across the Middle East and Africa, as the global payments company moves to deepen its footprint in one of its fastest-growing regions.
The company has appointed Yasemin Bedir, a near two-decade Mastercard veteran, as President of its Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) division, a role that spans 81 countries and places her on Mastercard’s Management Committee. She takes over from Dimitrios Dosis, who has moved into a new position as chief commercial payments officer overseeing commercial and new payment flows.
The EEMEA region has been expanded in recent years, growing into a more agile and vibrant market for the company, and Mastercard says the retail fintech opportunity in the region remains substantial, with room to grow through partnerships spanning retailers, fintech startups, financial institutions, governments and local businesses.
Based in the UAE, Bedir will be responsible for shaping strategy and driving results across all aspects of Mastercard’s regional operations. Mastercard’s chief business officer, Sachin Mehra, described her as a leader who finds the best in her teams to help them deliver the greatest impact for customers and fuel local economies. He added that the region demands creative thinking, proven results and strong relationships, qualities Bedir has shown throughout her career.
Before this appointment, Bedir spent four years as Division President for Eastern Europe, where she steered Mastercard’s operations through a difficult geopolitical and regulatory climate while strengthening the company’s market position.
Mastercard’s leadership change comes at a time when the retail fintech opportunity in Africa and the Middle East is drawing growing attention from global payment networks, as digital transformation, mobile money adoption and financial inclusion efforts continue to reshape how consumers and businesses in the region move money and access financial services. With Bedir now at the helm, industry watchers expect Mastercard to intensify collaborations with local players to capture more of this expanding market.
