Hop, Skip, and Jump!

Mastercard has appointed Dheeraj Raina as Vice President and Head of Integrated Marketing and Communications (IMC) for Southeast Asia.

Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Dheeraj will bring his deep marketing experience and expertise to facilitate strategic marketing, partnerships and activations in the region, which comprises 10 markets. He will lead a high impact team that cuts across brand, consumer marketing, product marketing, sponsorships and communications, and work closely with business leads and country managers to facilitate business growth.

He will also focus on boosting consumer engagement through Mastercard’s long-standing marketing platform, Priceless. In this role, Dheeraj will be part of Mastercard’s Southeast Asia Leadership Team.

Safdar Khan, Division President, Southeast Asia, Mastercard, said: “Dheeraj arrives at a crucial juncture for Mastercard in Southeast Asia. With unparalleled market potential, a rapidly growing digital economy and significant cross-border opportunities, the region holds significant importance for the company.

Dheeraj’s vast experience and his passion for tech and data will add substantial value to our marketing and communications efforts, accelerating the company to greater heights and reinforcing Mastercard’s market leadership in the Southeast Asian payments ecosystem. We have every confidence that he will make a positive impact to the company and contribute to its continued success.”

With over 18 years of marketing experience, Dheeraj has held senior leadership roles at several of the world’s largest media agencies, including as CEO of Dentsu Malaysia and Managing Director of Mindshare Malaysia, where he was responsible for overall business growth, working with major clients and managing diverse specialist teams. His previous agency roles include M

Immediately prior to joining Mastercard, Dheeraj was the Chief Marketing and Strategic Communications Officer at Petronas’ clean energy solutions subsidiary, Gentari, where he spearheaded marketing, branding, and strategic marketing communications.

Dheeraj Raina, Vice President and Head of Integrated Marketing and Communications, Southeast Asia, Mastercard, said: “I am extremely excited to take on this role in this fascinating and fast-moving region. Southeast Asia is home to some of the world’s most digitally-engaged consumers, and I look forward to furthering Mastercard as an ecosystem enabler so that even more people can participate in the thriving digital economy and reap the benefits that technology can bring.

I am thrilled to join the amazing Mastercard team in Southeast Asia, and to collaborate with partners, customers and other stakeholders to facilitate the creation of an inclusive ecosystem and drive digital transformation across the region.”

Dheeraj was also named in Campaign Asia’s 40 under 40, a prestigious list of outstanding marketing, media, technology and communications practitioners in Asia Pacific. He also serves as a mentor at innovation accelerator FinLab, nurturing the growth and evolution of FinTechs, start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises in Malaysia.