Visa has announced the appointment of Tareq Muhmood as Regional President for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA), effective immediately. With over 30 years of experience in banking and payments, Muhmood is poised to lead Visa’s operations across 86 vibrant and rapidly growing markets, serving more than 1,800 clients from 23 local offices. Based in Dubai, he will report to Oliver Jenkyn, Group President of Global Markets at Visa.
Muhmood’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for Visa’s CEMEA region, which is the company’s fastest-growing market. His extensive background includes senior leadership roles at Visa, where he most recently served as head of Value-Added Services for Europe and previously as Group Country Manager for Southeast Asia. Before joining Visa in 2019, Muhmood held key positions at Ahli United Bank, ANZ, and HSBC, working across 13 countries. This global perspective, combined with his expertise in financial services and technology, positions him as an ideal leader to drive Visa’s mission of advancing digital payments in CEMEA.
Oliver Jenkyn praised Muhmood’s appointment, stating, “We are delighted to appoint a leader with Tareq’s deep experience at the intersection of financial services, technology, and high-growth markets to lead Visa’s fastest-growing region.” Muhmood succeeds Andrew Torre, who has transitioned to President of Visa’s $9 billion Value-Added Services business, which has seen 20% annualized revenue growth since 2021.
Expressing his enthusiasm, Muhmood said, “It is a great honor to lead the CEMEA region and continue transforming the future of payments across dynamic markets. I am excited to expand digital payments among consumers, merchants, and economies, working closely with our outstanding team and partners.”
With Muhmood at the helm, Visa is well-positioned to accelerate digital commerce and financial inclusion across CEMEA, fostering shared growth and innovation. It will be interesting to watch the Visa next step especially in Kenya which is in the forefront of the digital financial inclusion
