Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA, Mastercard
Amnah Ajmal has led a digital and cultural transformation in the consumer banking and payments industry.
Podcast
Overview
Amnah has led a digital and cultural transformation in the consumer banking and payments industry by innovating consumer experience across several markets in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America. She has also managed end-end P&L and operations of a consumer bank. She is currently Head of Merchants, digital partnerships, and strategy and has been voted twice “Top 25 women in Financial Technology across the world” and “Top 10 in America”.
00:33- Tell me about your learnings and challenges.
- I started my career as a traditional banker around 95.
- My learning from my journey is that it’s important to reinvent yourself now and then, and have humility in surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than me.
- And to be able to disrupt yourself. Because if you can’t disrupt yourself, if you can’t reinvent yourself, you can’t drive innovation in today’s times.
04:48- How do you see the Credit Card business evolving in the digital world?
- Consumers want simplicity. Of course, safety is a given when you’re talking about choice. They don’t like to call anymore and prefer to WhatsApp than to call,
- I just think the whole view of the current car business is going to be more around experiences.
- Everything has to be digital. These are small, simple things that are not about the card product itself, but the card business about experiences of service.
06:53- How do credit card companies reinvent themselves?
- The first thing about innovation, and this is my humble view, is that it’s about having a long-term view of your business
- It’s very important to have an optimistic view of the future and make decisions with that forward-looking mindset.
- If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change, whether it’s any regulation, or whether it’s any new changes coming up.
- Maybe it’s difficult, but at the same time, it presents massive opportunities, that optimism with which you need to look at innovation.
- Look into collaboration models that can impact large traditional financial institutions in the smaller fintech.
11:40- Do you see cash being replaced with digital currency and credit cards?
- While I wish and hope so because it’s a massive responsibility and a challenge.
- I say responsibility, because while having a debit card, and then getting access to the product is one thing, not being financially included in the ecosystem is another thing.
- And I think for the world to be more balanced, and more, equally financial included, there’s a massive fight for it.
15:30- How are the young leaders in organizations changing the way to do business?
- I just love to work with that kind of talent. And I would say, when I see even the younger generation, like, it’s just incredible.
- Technology is just evolving to meet those expectations. So I just think that it’s important to remain in touch with our generation.
- I just think that the young talent has curiosity. And they have that ability to challenge the status quo, their expectations are so different about everything around us.
18:39- Three key milestones in your life or your career?
- The one would be leaving my house at the age of 21 $20 in my pocket and not looking back.
- Every time an opportunity came my way, I changed, and I was not afraid to change.
- When I became a parent, it changed me forever.
19:23- What are some of the core values you believe in?
- Empathy, courage, humility, and perseverance.
20:41- Three lessons from your journey.
- We need to prioritize health and well-being.
- Your belief is the only thing that stands between you and your dream.
- Be humble enough to ask the questions and surround yourself with people who will provide you with the answers.
RESOURCES:
You can connect with Amnah Ajmal – LinkedIn
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Profile
Amnah Ajmal has led a digital and cultural transformation in the consumer banking and payments industry by innovating consumer experience across several markets in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America. She has also managed end-end P&L and operations of a consumer bank. She is currently Head of Merchants, digital partnerships, and strategy and has been voted twice “Top 25 women in Financial Technology across the world” and “Top 10 in America”.
