Mastercard has appointed
Folasade Femi-Lawal as Country Manager and Area Business Head for West Africa.
Folasade has over 25 years of experience across various sectors, including
financial services, management consulting, telecommunications, and business
advisory services.
In her new role, Folasade
will lead Mastercard's strategic vision, innovation, and growth agenda in West
Africa. She will be responsible for strengthening partnerships with key
stakeholders and advancing the company's mission of fostering a more connected
and inclusive digital economy in the region.
Before joining
Mastercard, Folasade was the Head of Cards & Messaging Business at First
Bank, Nigeria, where she significantly grew the card subscriber base and market
share. She also played a vital role in shaping Mobile Financial Services and
Digital Banking Strategy. Her previous experience includes serving as the Head
of the Loan Monitoring Unit at the United Bank of Africa and managing the
Regional Balanced Scorecard for eight regions at Airtel.
Mark Elliott, the
division president for Sub-Saharan Africa at Mastercard, expressed excitement
about Folasade's appointment, emphasizing her vast experience in the digital
payments ecosystem. He highlighted the pivotal role she will play in the
ongoing transformation of Nigeria's payments landscape, particularly as the
country moves towards a cashless society.
Folasade is committed to
inclusive growth and empowerment, as evidenced by her philanthropic activities
and mentorship roles with organizations like Women in Management, Business and
Public Service (WimBiz), the United States White House Initiative – Academy for
Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), and FirstBank Women Network.
Folasade expressed deep
honor and eagerness to contribute to Mastercard's commitment to excellence,
innovation, and financial inclusion in her new role. She acknowledged Mastercard's
consistent industry leadership in financial inclusion, economic empowerment,
digital transformation, and innovation.
