Fintech
A different voice in payments: Kiki Del Valle
Kiki Del Valle, Head of Division North Latin America and Caribbean, Mastercard
When Mastercard sought to build a fintech presence in Latin America more than five years ago, veteran payments executive Kiki Del Valle was first to lead the charge.
It has partnered with fintechs in the region to help lead issuing cards to more than 300 million consumers and has helped finance approximately 50 entities Mastercard Start Path Program, which provides support to startups around the world. The card network now holds around 80% of the market share in Latin America.
But with nearly two decades of payments industry experience under his belt, Del Valle shows no signs of slowing down.
Since joining Mastercard in 2008 as vice president of U.S. market development, Del Valle has been at the forefront of noteworthy mobile wallet and payments campaigns ranging from the global launches of Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay to debut of WhatsApp Pay. Under his leadership, the company has signed more than 200 deals in the fintech sector in recent years. These partnerships involved lending, cross-border payments and financial inclusion.
“The fintech sector continues to face transformative changes around the world driven by rapid technological advancements, a secular shift to digital form factors, emphasis on customer experience with increased personalization, data availability and regulatory interventions,” he said Del Valle.
Before joining Mastercard, Del Valle started as a business analyst in General Electric’s financial management program from 2003 to 2006 and was a financial manager in Home Depot’s new product development and bank card divisions from 2006 to 2008.
His leadership skills extend beyond the payments and fintech space, promoting diversity and inclusion both inside and outside his company. Del Valle partnered with the U.S. Agency for International Development in January 2021 to develop and lead Mastercard Start of the Empodera route, which is dedicated to assisting 200 early-stage female entrepreneurs in Colombia and Peru. Additionally, she serves on the boards of non-profit organizations such as Women in Payments in LATAM, Damas Foundation of Puerto Rico, and WaterAid Americas.