Karen Griffin is the chief risk officer for Mastercard and a member of the company’s executive leadership team and Management Committee. 

She is the first executive at the company to hold this role, reflecting the increasing importance of the ability to manage an organization’s risk appetite in order to maximize growth opportunities. Karen leads a team focused on strengthening the company's risk management strategy and activities, building on the robust processes and procedures currently in place. 

For the past eight years, she served as chief compliance officer, developing a strategic vision and overseeing the company’s global ethics and compliance system. This effort encompassed a broad set of integrated programs including Business Conduct and Ethics, Anti-Corruption, Anti-Money Laundering and Economic Sanctions.  

Prior to joining Mastercard in 2014, Karen served as senior vice president and chief compliance officer for Visa Inc., where she developed a company-wide ethics and compliance system following its 2008 IPO. Previously, she served as head of the Office of Business Conduct at Alcatel-Lucent. Karen has also held several business leadership roles at Lucent Technologies and AT&T, including product management, customer delivery and engineering. 

Karen earned her Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Manufacturing Engineering from Boston University. She received her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. 

Karen is vice chair of the ICC Global Commission on Anti-Corruption and Corporate Responsibility, a member of the B20 Action Council on ESG in Business, World Economic Forum Future of Good Governance Council, World Economic Forum Partnering Against Corruption Initiative, and Advancing Women Executives. Previously, Karen was a member of the Mastercard Europe Board of Directors, and a co-chair of the B20 Integrity and Compliance Task Force.