Ajay Banga is an Indian-American business leader who served as CEO of Mastercard from 2010 to 2021, presiding over one of the most successful transformations in global financial services. Under his leadership, Mastercard's market capitalisation grew from $30 billion to over $300 billion.
He transformed Mastercard from a payments network into a technology company — investing heavily in cybersecurity, data analytics and digital payments infrastructure. He was a leading voice on financial inclusion, championing efforts to bring banking services to the 1.7 billion people globally without access to formal financial services.
In 2023 he was confirmed as President of the World Bank — one of the most senior roles in international development finance. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful executives of his generation and a transformative figure in global business.