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Robert W. Selander is President and Chief Executive Officer of MasterCard Worldwide. Since his appointment in April 1997, Mr. Selander has spearheaded key strategic initiatives that have significantly advanced the company's position as a leader and innovator in the global payments industry.
Foremost on Mr. Selander's list of accomplishments is his vital role in navigating MasterCard's transition from a membership association to a publicly traded company. Mr. Selander led all aspects of the multi-year transition, which began in 2002 with the company's conversion to a private-share corporation following its successful integration with Europay International. The company's transition to a publicly traded enterprise was completed in May 2006, marked by MasterCard's initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange - the largest domestic IPO of the year, as well as the 12th largest domestic IPO in U.S. history at the time.
As President and CEO, Mr. Selander also championed the unveiling of a new corporate brand and corporate identity - MasterCard Worldwide - positioning the company as a global leader at The Heart of Commerce. Under his guidance, the world-renowned MasterCard® brand was revitalized with the launch of the now famous Priceless® advertising campaign, which has appeared in 109 countries and in 50 languages. Mr. Selander also implemented a company-wide customer-focused strategy; guided MasterCard's entrance into the commercial card market; and oversaw the formation of MasterCard Advisors®, the only consultancy solely dedicated to the payments industry. Throughout his tenure, he has backed numerous programs to address the evolving needs of modern commerce, including the continued expansion of innovative payment options, such as MasterCard PayPass®. He has also made substantial investments in technology, building a second-to-none payments-processing platform.
Prior to his appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Selander served as Executive Vice President and President of the company's Europe, Middle East/Africa, and Canada Regions. During that time, MasterCard significantly bolstered its brand in Europe through its strategic alliance with Europay and by converting the Access brand in the United Kingdom to the MasterCard brand.
Before joining MasterCard in October 1994, Mr. Selander spent 20 years with Citicorp/Citibank, N.A. In his last position, he had been the director of Global Retail Strategy. Prior to that, he held responsibility for several consumer businesses operating in North America and Europe.
Mr. Selander holds a bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering from Cornell University and a master's degree in business from Harvard University. A board director of The Hartford Financial Services Group since 1998, Mr. Selander is also a member of The Financial Services Roundtable, Business Roundtable and the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy. | 