Why I love working for Mastercard (and so will you!)

Honestly, no one is paying for this — there aren’t any job postings or company product links. This is an unsolicited love letter to a company that I’ve worked for, for 5+ years now, and I’m consistently impressed with the culture, the people and the leadership.

In my 25+ years of working life, I’ve worked with some 10+ companies in my years crossing development management, to program management, and finally to product leadership. I’ve worked for 5-person small startups to massive conglomerates. I’ve seen professed (and sometimes even actualized) company cultures and I’ve worked with some phenomenal colleagues.

However, never has the combination worked so brilliantly, in one place, as I have seen it done at Mastercard.

Mastercard provides a tangible quality to doing something good for the world

When Ajay Banga said in 2019, “We’re working to scale ‘Doing Well by Doing Good’ by making commercially sustainable social impact the new business as usual,” these weren’t just words. Employees at Mastercard were provided a sense of purpose, one backed up by the whole company.

“We believe that being purpose-driven is fundamental to sustainability– for everyone,” ~Ajay Banga.

Knowing, everyday, that your job has the potential to be a beneficial influence on others, made me happier and more motivated.

When Ajay gave up the reins, it was a bittersweet moment. For those of you who might be Dr Who fans, think of it like the transition from David Tennant to Matt Smith. Sad to see one leave, but excited about new possibilities with another.

It would have been easy to see a shift in the sails, but this sense of focus on employees has continued with Michael Meibach. One that I’m extremely appreciative for.

“We’ve seen firsthand how our commitment to environmental and social responsibility — and our core values of operating ethically, responsibly and with decency — is directly connected to our continuing success as a business.” ~Michael Meibach

Encouragement of Creativity and Innovation

What Ideation is and why it’s important can be found in the word itself. Ideation encompasses all the research, planning, and testing needed in order for an idea to become an actualization.

The word itself is the result of combining the phrase ‘idea generation.’

I’ve found, during my tenure, that Mastercard challenges their employees to explore alternative business models, challenge long standing belief, and pursue more innovative solutions. This process ultimately leads to improvements in our products and services and the way we interact with customers.

Ideation, at Mastercard, is important because it helps:

• Get to know your target audience in depth so that you can better understand their pain points and address their unique needs
• Discover and resolve potential problems so you don’t waste time, resources, or money building something that no one will ever use
• Learn more about your company’s business models and the type of message you want to convey about your brand
• Determine whether you should rethink your current product direction to provide a more personalized and tailored experience.

Energizing environment

The company often organizes fun adventures outside of the office. I’ve had the chance to work in volunteer events that span helping build a house, to supporting the Ronald McDonald House, to boxing food and toiletries for families in need.

This positively affects the work ethic of Mastercard employees to put effort into their own tasks and into their team projects. It’s also a wonderful chance to give back to the community at large.

An environment of trust and teamwork

From our phenomenal regional partners to our fantastic O&T, external customers to those in the front lines working to keep them happy. This is an environment of trust. Trust that, at the “core of the core” we are working together in a common goal of making lives better.

One person can’t do this alone and at Mastercard you are surrounded by compassion, wisdom and inclusivity.

Opportunity for growth

At Mastercard, employees take on challenges presented to them with determination. The culture of Mastercard is one of inclusion and diversity of thought. This means taking the initiative to work on a project no matter how difficult they may seem.

As individuals we look at the world and we look at business and problems people have and rather than get overwhelmed by their difficulty we just start and take on challenges. Mastercard truly does have a mission of doing well by doing good. The employees take this mission to heart and don’t let anything stop them from challenging themselves.

It is this inspirational environment that pushes employees to tackle difficulties together.

Conclusion

Again, no one paid me for this vote of confidence. No links, no job posting, just the thoughts of someone who just loves the company I work for…

…and just think, you could too.