Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga’s “hand at the back” credo empowers his people. But he stresses that it’s a company-wide effort and If you wander around the corridors and ask shared sense of purpose that has helped people what excites them about this company, Mastercard thrive as a more-equal culture and as a you will hear them say our social messaging, our corporation. financial inclusion, decency quotient—you’ll get Mastercard is innovating in the area of financial all these answers in some form or other.” inclusion, helping to provide access and tools to 2 billion people in the world without a bank account. Ajay Banga, President and CEO, “We’ve reached 380 million people as of now. I Mastercard think we have a line of sight to 500 million,” Banga says. “The idea is to make it happen everywhere, When the right tone is set from the top and from Africa to Brazil to Eastern Europe.” everyone in an organization is empowered, trusted It’s a business priority that is perfectly aligned with, and armed with a mission, together they can unlock and driven by, Mastercard’s culture of equality. unprecedented opportunity. 20 GETTING TO EQUAL 2019: CREATING A CULTURE THAT DRIVES INNOVATION