Mastercard
Director, Sanctions - Europe and EEMEMA
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Our Purpose
Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.
Title and Summary
Director, Sanctions - Europe and EEMEMA
Overview
Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we're helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.
The Director, Sanctions – Europe and EEMEMA is a senior leadership role within the Global Financial Crimes Compliance team, responsible for leading sanctions compliance strategy and oversight across EU markets, with a focus on digital assets and emerging payment ecosystems.
This role will support the integration and ongoing oversight of BVNK, ensuring sanctions risks across fiat and crypto payment flows are effectively identified, assessed, and mitigated in line with Mastercard and regulatory expectations.
Role
- Lead EU-focused economic sanctions compliance (EU, UK, UN) across digital asset and fiat payment ecosystems, ensuring alignment with evolving regulatory expectations impacting crypto-related activity.
- Design, implement, and continuously enhance compliance risk control frameworks covering financial crimes, transaction screening, and asset freezing across global payments businesses.
- Provide senior-level advisory on sanctions risks impacting crypto exchanges, wallet providers, on/off-ramp solutions, and tokenized payment models.
- Oversee governance and controls related to regulatory change management, implementing new or evolving global trade restrictions and sanctions regimes across all operating jurisdictions.
- Ensure continuous regulatory exam, audit, and supervisory readiness through robust compliance documentation, control testing, issue management, and high-impact management reporting.
- Partner with product, technology, and business leaders to embed "Compliance by Design" controls into digital currency initiatives and market expansions.
- Provide SME guidance on EU-specific sanctions developments impacting digital assets, influencing strategic decision-making at the executive level.
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Required Qualifications
- Extensive experience in EU sanctions compliance, trade controls, financial crimes management, or legal/audit fields within global banking, payments, or other highly regulated financial services environments.
- Demonstrated expertise in designing and operating global compliance control frameworks, including regulatory risk assessments, transaction screening optimization, issue management, and governance reporting in complex global organizations.
- Deep knowledge of regulatory expectations impacting digital assets, including EU/UK restrictive measures.
- Experience covering both traditional fiat currency payment systems and digital payment or digital currency models, including regulated digital assets or tokenized value where applicable.
- Proven ability to lead senior-level stakeholder engagement and communicate effectively.
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Preferred Qualifications
- Direct experience engaging with EU sanctions regimes and international financial market regulators and enforcement authorities.
- Experience supporting compliance and controls for digital payment innovation, digital currencies, or global tech acquisitions/integrations.
- Experience with blockchain analytics tools (e.g., Chainalysis, TRM, Elliptic)
- Advanced degree (e.g., Juris Doctor) or relevant professional certifications (e.g., CAMS, CGSS, or dedicated trade compliance credentials).
Additional Requirements
- Ability to remain flexible in a demanding work environment and adapt to rapidly changing priorities.
- Demonstrated ability to manage and work independently, effectively and efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to prioritize and manage multiple assignments.
- Self-motivated with excellent organizational skills and in-depth analytical skills.
- Ability to conceptualize new ideas and complex technical matters quickly.
- Ability to meet schedules and deadlines with thorough, accurate and quality work products.
- Must be able to work on highly complex issues of significant importance. Attention to detail is critical.
Corporate Security Responsibility
All activities involving access to Mastercard assets, information, and networks comes with an inherent risk to the organization and, therefore, it is expected that every person working for, or on behalf of, Mastercard is responsible for information security and must:
- Abide by Mastercard’s security policies and practices;
- Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed;
- Report any suspected information security violation or breach, and
- Complete all periodic mandatory security trainings in accordance with Mastercard’s guidelines.
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