MasterCard Incorporated on Monday announced that Ajay Banga, currently MasterCard's president and chief operating officer, has been named by the board of directors to serve as the company's president and chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2010.
Banga's exit is being seen as a blow to Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit, who said in a speech this week that the bank would look abroad for growth as the US economy slows. At MasterCard, he will be responsible for key business operations, including customer relationships globally, products, services, marketing, technology and operations.