Pooja oversees Mastercard’s public policy engagement and activities in the UK and Ireland. She has responsibility for developing and implementing Mastercard’s public policy strategy, leading the policy work on inclusion, as well as developing and maintaining relationships and partnerships with policymakers and civil society stakeholders.
Prior to joining Mastercard in 2019, Pooja set up and managed the stakeholder engagement function at the UK’s Payment Systems Regulator, the world’s first dedicated economic regulator of payment systems. Before that, Pooja managed public affairs activities at the Payments Council, the industry trade association for the UK’s payments industry. Pooja started her career as a Civil Servant in HM Government, including working as Assistant Private Secretary to the UK Government’s Chief Whip in Downing Street.
Pooja holds an MSc in International Politics, and BA in Economics and Politics, specialising in the region of South Asia, both from the School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London.