Manila, Philippines – Global payment solutions company Mastercard in the Philippines has recently appointed Simon Calasanz, former executive vice president and head of consumer lending at commercial bank Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), to be its new country manager.
Calasanz brings with him nearly 20 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. Aside from his position at RCBC, he also became the president at credit card issuance industry association Credit Card Association of the Philippines, and the senior vice president and head of sales at multinational bank HSBC Group’s Retail Banking and Wealth Management department.
In his new role, Calasanz will be responsible for accelerating the acceptance and usage of digital payments, especially for smaller merchants and businesses, while also expanding on Mastercard’s ongoing digital and financial inclusion initiatives in the country. He will also be boosting the uptake of contactless card payments and strengthening the company’s proposition as a multi-rail payments technology company.
“Calasanz’s ‘digital-first’ business acumen and two-decades long career in the Philippines payments industry will support the company to double down on work with partners in different industries,” said Mastercard Philippines.
Commenting on his appointment, Calasanz said, “In my previous positions, I’ve seen first-hand the important contributions that Mastercard has made to the Philippines economy. I look forward to advancing Mastercard’s commitment to creating a digitized interoperable world and introducing new technologies that will allow the Philippines to leapfrog some of the traditional stages of digital payments and become a leader in cashless payments in the region.”
Meanwhile, Ari Sarker, the co-president of Mastercard APAC, commented that Calasanz is an invaluable addition to Mastercard’s leadership team in the Philippines, as he brings with him unrivalled experience in the country’s finance and banking sector and a wealth of knowledge and strategic insights about the intricacies of the market and consumers.
“Simon will support Mastercard in doubling down on efforts to build an inclusive and digitized economy in the Philippines, while enabling customers and partners to better prepare for economic recovery and growth,” said Sarker.
The appointment of Calasanz comes as Rowell Del Fierro, former country manager, completes a distinguished tenure with Mastercard.
