Mastercard overhauls global HR function

Mastercard is changing the way its HR department will function as the multinational credit card issuer responds to markets around the world.
Mastercard Prepaid Services senior vice president for global human resources David Walsh explained the business was considering many options to make it easier to operate globally.
Speaking at the HR Directors Business Summit, Walsh said: “We’re changing our HR model at the moment so my colleagues and I are going through that particular kind of change.
“That is trying to demystify this global thing and then really focus on the market because that’s where the action is. How we get there in this new model is where those accountabilities will sit. Each different business has a different strategic view, so if everything’s now sitting in market, how’s the work going to get done?”
Walsh noted that such an approach was becoming increasingly common for other major multinationals but he wanted minimise potential problems.
“Having that expertise across broader businesses and each market is important so that when people are sitting at head office that need something done in South Africa there’s one point of contact for everybody to get everything done that they need to do. Whether it’s a different HR practice or if everyone’s dealing with the same things or different interpretations that go on in New York around what the employment legislation is in these territories, so we need to keep that really focused,” he added.

Owain Thomas