Payal currently serves as the Executive Vice President, Global Programs at the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. She joined the Center in April 2018 and her remit includes overseeing the Center’s philanthropic investments around the globe, managing the Center’s global programmatic team, directing the Center’s Thought Leadership team which includes research, insights and learning and running the Center’s inclusive innovation team.
She brings extensive financial services, international philanthropy and political experience to her role. Prior to joining Mastercard, Payal was Global Head of Community Programs for Standard Chartered Bank. In this capacity, Payal designed the Bank’s new community investment strategy and oversaw all programs related to education, girls’ empowerment, global health, emergency response, and disaster relief. She was also the the Head of Public Affairs for the Americas. Prior to joining Standard Chartered, she worked on the launch of the AT&T Universal Savings and Reward Card for Citi.
Payal has also worked for a wide range of public sector organizations including the World Affairs Council, the Global Philanthropy Forum and the Earth Institute at Columbia University. In 2020, she was appointed to the Advisory Group for the WE EMPOWER G-7 program of UN Women and the Working Group on Financial Health of the UN Secretary General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development. She’s held official positions during the G20 Indonesia and India presidencies and currently serves on two taskforces for the G20 Brazil presidency in 2024. She also served as a program advisor to the Clinton Global Initiative between 2014-2016. A notable career highlight was working on foreign policy for the Office of President William J. Clinton between 2005-2006.
Payal currently serves as a trustee for Women Win, Steering Board member for RISE and a member of the Programs and Strategy Committee for CAREUSA. A Texas native, Payal has a BA with honors from Stanford University and an MBA and an MPA from New York University.
