Cambodia Investment Review
Mastercard today announced the appointment of Sharad Jain as Country Manager for Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. In this role, Sharad will lead and oversee the company’s strategic direction and business operations across these three dynamic markets. His responsibilities include advancing Mastercard’s efforts in implementing secure digital payments solutions and strengthening collaborations with government stakeholders, banks and merchants in Cambodia.
With more than 22 years of international experience in financial services across Asia and the Middle East, Sharad brings deep expertise in payments, consumer and business banking, consumer finance, and digital transformation. In his new role, he will focus on advancing innovative, secure, and seamless digital payments solutions in collaboration with public and private sector firms, while promoting financial and digital inclusion to support Cambodia’s shift toward a more connected and inclusive digital economy.
Extensive International & Regional Experience
Commenting on the appointment, Safdar Khan, Division President, Southeast Asia, Mastercard, said, “Sharad’s strategic mindset, extensive international and regional experience, and deep understanding of the payments and banking industry make him well-suited to lead Mastercard’s efforts across Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. His market insights and established relationships in these markets reaffirm our focus on driving long-term collaborations and scalable innovations that deliver impact and value for the government, banks and merchants in these countries.”
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Sharad’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for Cambodia, as the country continues to advance its digital economy agenda by accelerating financial inclusion, enabling seamless cross-border payments and empowering SMEs. Cambodia’s evolving payments landscape presents vast opportunities, with mobile penetration reaching 145% of the total population[1] and government initiatives such as the Cambodia Digital Economy and Society Policy Framework 2021-2035 driving digital transformation[2].
A Region That Is Highly Dynamic & Fast-Growing
“I’m deeply honored and excited to take on this role in a region that is highly dynamic and fast-growing. The pace of digital transformation in Cambodia is remarkable, and the opportunity to deliver breakthrough ideas in payments and lending through technology and innovation, while driving meaningful impact in local communities, is immense. I look forward to collaborating closely with our partners in Cambodia to build an interoperable, secure, and inclusive digital ecosystem, and to working alongside our dedicated Mastercard team to continue the important work already underway for the benefit of all Cambodians,” said Sharad Jain, Country Manager for Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, Mastercard.
Prior to his appointment, Sharad was most recently Vice President, Regional Account Management, Southeast Asia at Mastercard in Singapore, where he led strategic account management for top-tier financial institutions across the region. He succeeds Winnie Wong, who is currently Country Manager for Thailand and Myanmar.
“I would like to thank Winnie for her contributions to our business in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos over the past six years. Her leadership and accomplishments in these three markets have been truly outstanding. As we embrace this leadership change, I am confident that Sharad will build on our achievements in these markets and, with his proven leadership and expertise, bring fresh momentum to drive our business forward,” added Safdar Khan.
[1] https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-cambodia
[2] https://www.asianvision.org/archives/publications/avi-perspective-issue-2021-no-10-cambodia-digital-economy-and-society-policy-framework-2021-2035-an-outlook?utm_source=chatgpt.com
