KARACHI, PAKISTAN: Visa announced the appointment of Leila Serhan as Group Country Manager and Senior Vice President to lead its presence across the North Africa, Levant and Pakistan (NALP) region.

Ms. Leila Serhan brings more than two decades experience of leadership positions, including 20 years gained at Microsoft.

Ms. Leila Serhan most recently led Microsoft’s public sector business across the Gulf region, and previously served as General Manager for its operations across North Africa, East Mediterranean, and Pakistan.

She previously held roles spanning country management, finance and marketing and has driven public and private sector digital transformation initiatives in finance, government and education. Ms. Serhan is a strong advocate for women’s empowerment, founding and currently serving as President for the Women in IT Association in Lebanon.

Visa is the market leader across the North Africa Levant and Pakistan region which serves 15 countries from five regional offices. Visa recently announced its intention to open a new office in Sudan, one year since the first Visa card was issued in the market. Ms. Serhan will form part of Visa’s Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA) leadership team, reporting to Regional President Andrew Torre.

“Having spent the breadth of my career working across North Africa, Levant and Pakistan, I have been fortunate to witness the rapid pace of digital transformation across these exciting and dynamic markets,” said Leila Serhan.

“The changes over the past year have demonstrated the critical role that digital payments can play in accelerating economic growth and more broadly helping individuals and businesses to thrive. I am now looking forward to working with the Visa teams, our clients and partners, to bring the benefits of digital payments to all.”

“Visa has long been committed to establishing deep roots across North Africa, Levant and Pakistan, and we recognize the great opportunity that still exists to expand access to digital payments to more consumers and merchants,” said Andrew Torre, Regional President for Central Europe, Middle East and Africa, Visa. “We are extremely optimistic about the prospects for this region, and I am delighted we have appointed a leader of Leila’s caliber, regional experience and passion to accelerate the next phase of growth.”

Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network – enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. www.visa.com