Mastercard has a new regional president overseeing 81 countries across Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Yasemin Bedir, who has spent nearly two decades at the company, takes on the role effective September 1, 2026, succeeding Dimitrios Dosis, who is shifting into a new position as Chief Commercial Payments Officer.
Bedir's appointment gives her responsibility for one of Mastercard's most geographically and economically diverse regions, spanning major markets including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Egypt. Based in the United Arab Emirates, she will set strategy and direction across EEMEA while working directly with retailers, fintech companies, banks, governments and businesses to expand digital payments adoption. The role also earns her a seat on Mastercard's Management Committee.
Sachin Mehra, Mastercard's Chief Business Officer, credited Bedir's track record for the promotion. "Yasemin is a leader who finds the best in her teams to help them deliver the greatest impact for our customers and to fuel local economies," he said, adding that navigating a region as complex as EEMEA demands creative thinking, proven execution and strong relationships, qualities he said Bedir has consistently shown throughout her career at the company.
Before this appointment, Bedir spent four years as Division President for Eastern Europe, a stretch during which she managed Mastercard's business through a difficult geopolitical and regulatory climate while still strengthening the company's footprint in those markets. That experience appears to have positioned her as a natural choice for the wider EEMEA role.
Her history with Mastercard goes back to 2007, and she has cycled through several leadership posts since then, including a stint as General Manager for Turkey and Azerbaijan, and close to five years in North America managing relationships with community institutions and processors.
Prior to joining Mastercard altogether, she worked in traditional banking at HSBC, Garanti Bank and Yapi Kredi in Turkey, giving her a foundation in banking before she moved into payments.
Speaking after the announcement, Bedir credited the people she's worked alongside for shaping her approach to the new role. "I've been inspired by the teams here at Mastercard. Their resilience, innovative spirit and relentless dedication to meet and exceed customer needs is what powers our impact every day," she said, noting her plan to build on the groundwork Dosis laid over his five years leading the region rather than starting fresh.
Outside her corporate roles, Bedir counts herself among the founders of the Professional Women Network and has been involved in initiatives supporting small and medium sized business growth, an interest that may carry over into how she approaches financial inclusion work across EEMEA markets.
The leadership change comes as Mastercard continues expanding its footprint across Africa and the Middle East, regions where digital payments adoption is accelerating quickly but still trails more mature markets.
How Bedir balances that growth opportunity against the regulatory and geopolitical complexity she's already navigated in Eastern Europe will likely shape how the region performs under her leadership.
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