Mastercard appoints Perry Ong as country manager of Malaysia and Brunei

Mastercard has appointed Perry Ong (pictured) as country manager of Malaysia and Brunei, taking on the role previously held by Safdar Khan, who is now division president for Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.Ong, who is based in Kuala Lumpur, will focus on driving core business growth, maximising the potential of new and emerging payment innovations, as well as enhancing relationships with industry players and key customers covering both bank and non-bank institutions, according to Mastercard's statement to A+M.Prior to joining Mastercard, Ong was the chief executive officer of AmBank's AmCard Services and senior vice president of International Solutions, focusing on remittances and bureau de change, before his last posting as head of business segment and senior vice president of Ambank's small business banking (SBB). He brings with him over 20 years of experience and extensive knowledge in payments and financial services. He has also served as chairman and advisor of the National Cards Group in Malaysia."Malaysia is a key market for Mastercard with its advanced payments landscape having experienced many milestones and seen exciting developments. These include the implementation of more secured CHIP and PIN technology as the industry moves away from signature-based to PIN-based systems and continuous efforts towards accelerating the country’s e-payments migration,” said Ong.Meanwhile, Khan who is Mastercard's former group country manager for Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei -  is now appointed as its division president for Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. His responsible includes delivering increased value to Mastercard stakeholders by driving the implementation of the company’s digital payment technologies. The new role and division will be headquartered in Jakarta, where Khan will be based.Mastercard in a press statement said it recognises the growing importance of the developing Southeast Asian economies, specifically in Indonesia, which is expected to be a trillion dollar economy over the next few years, and the world’s fourth largest economy over the next decade.Khan has over 20 years of experience covering technology, banking, e-commerce and payment services and has held senior leadership positions across Asia and the Middle East at Mastercard for 10 years. Prior to joining Mastercard, Khan was engaged with Citibank and ABN Amro in the consumer franchise and financial services businesses spanning North America and Asia.“With the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) as a major milestone in the regional economic integration agenda, Khan’s appointment is a testament to Mastercard’s focus on building a strong, relevant and impactful business in Southeast Asia. Today’s appointment demonstrates our continued commitment to empowering strong leaders who can drive innovation and inclusion in a meaningful and connected way. I am confident that with Safdar’s experience and unique understanding of our customers, regulators and government bodies, we will continue to build a business that delivers to the needs of our stakeholders,” said Ari Sarker, co-president of Asia Pacific at Mastercard.