Grace Hayes is the Executive Vice President for Markets & Localization (M&L) at Mastercard. In this role, she leads M&L, the Market-Facing Technology teams (regional leads), Global Technology Hubs and Market Enablement teams.
Grace and her team are responsible for elevating stakeholder experiences and needs through innovative solutions and a culture of technology excellence. The team drives the strategic objectives of both Mastercard’s technology business unit and internal and external stakeholders, by helping to navigate and translate market trends, bringing a diverse mindset and acting as change agents to collapse the distance between our teams and our customers.
Grace has broad experience across her tenure with Mastercard. Most recently, leading all Product Delivery across our European division from our Dublin Tech Hub. Grace is accountable for defining and executing the implementation strategies and delivery readiness for new and enhanced products and services. Driving the introduction of multi-rail services, digital expansion, and the optimization of our Gateway business. By walking in the shoes of our customers, feeling the friction points in our product journeys and constantly seeking to improve and achieve what was once deemed impossible, is how she creates and leads inspiring teams. Driving value by unlocking intrinsic motivation to build a one-team culture to strategically position our diverse products for scalable growth. Distinguished track record leading cross-functional programs and teams, executing frameworks to identify, prioritize, structure, and solve complex business problems and deliver strategic recommendations.
Prior to joining Mastercard, Grace worked in MBNA, Bank of America for 12 years, where she held several management roles across Customer Service and Operations, Program and Delivery Management. Grace holds a degree in Business & Strategy, a Master’s Degree in Business & Science, specializing in Organizational Behavior and further studies in Big Data & AI Social Ethics and Technology Leadership.