Director, Strategic Partnerships & Sponsorships

Our Purpose Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential. Title and Summary Director, Strategic Partnerships & Sponsorships Role Overview Director, Strategic Partnerships & Sponsorships will lead Mastercard Japan's partnership and sponsorship strategy to drive brand preference, customer engagement, and commercial growth. This role is responsible for identifying, securing, and maximizing high-value partnerships and sponsorship assets, transforming them into scalable marketing platforms that create value for consumers, customers, and strategic partners. The ideal candidate is a seasoned marketing and partnerships leader with 15+ years of experience and a proven track record of developing and executing complex partnership and sponsorship programs end-to-end. Combining strategic vision, commercial acumen, and operational excellence, this individual will drive integrated B2C, B2B, and B2B2C initiatives that deliver measurable business impact for Mastercard and its customers. Key Objectives • Build a differentiated partnership and sponsorship strategy that drives brand preference and commercial impact in Japan • Transform sponsorship and partnership assets into scalable, issuer-relevant marketing platforms • Drive measurable business outcomes through integrated B2C, B2B, and B2B2C activations • Maximize asset monetization and value creation across customer and partner ecosystems Key Responsibilities 1. Partnership & Sponsorship Strategy • Define and lead Japan’s partnership and sponsorship strategy aligned to business priorities and brand positioning • Identify and secure high-impact strategic partnerships (e.g., including but not limited to culture, entertainment, and sports platforms) that create competitive differentiation • Establish a clear asset strategy that balances brand building, customer value, and monetization 2. Asset Portfolio Management & Productization • Own the end-to-end lifecycle of sponsorship and partnership assets—from sourcing and structuring to activation and optimization • Translate assets into scalable, modular marketing solutions that can be deployed across issuer and merchant programs • Develop standardized activation frameworks to enable repeatable, high-impact execution 3. Customer (Issuer & Merchant) Engagement • Partner with issuers and merchant customers to integrate sponsorship and partnership platforms into acquisition, engagement, and usage strategies • Design co-marketing programs that deliver measurable business outcomes and strengthen customer value proposition • Act as a strategic advisor to customers on leveraging marketing assets as growth drivers 4. Integrated Consumer Activation (B2C / B2B2C) • Lead the development of differentiated consumer experiences that drive engagement, preference, and brand affinity • Ensure seamless integration into broader brand campaigns, always-on programs, and key platforms • Drive innovation in how partnerships are activated across physical, digital, and experiential channels 5. Value Creation & Monetization • Maximize commercial returns from sponsorship and partnership assets through structured monetization models • Develop and track revenue streams tied to issuer programs and partnership-driven initiatives • Continuously identify opportunities to unlock incremental value from existing and new partnerships 6. Cross-functional & External Leadership • Collaborate closely with Marketing, Services, Product, and finance teams at local, regional, and global levels to ensure alignment and scalability • Lead relationships with rights holders, strategic partners, and agencies to unlock innovation and incremental value • Ensure strong governance, measurement, and reporting across all partnership activities What We're Looking For • Minimum 15 years of experience in strategic partnerships, sponsorships, brand marketing, integrated marketing, or related fields. • Proven track record developing and leading large-scale partnership and sponsorship programs from strategy development through execution and optimization. • Experience working within leading global brands, top-tier marketing agencies, media organizations, rights holders, entertainment companies, sports organizations, or customer-facing platforms. • Deep understanding of the Japan marketing landscape, including B2C, B2B, and B2B2C marketing, with demonstrated success driving customer acquisition, engagement, and loyalty. • Strong commercial acumen with the ability to link marketing investments to measurable business outcomes, including brand preference, customer growth, revenue, and ROI. • Demonstrated success identifying, negotiating, and managing complex strategic partnerships and sponsorship agreements. • Proven ability to build scalable marketing platforms and translate sponsorship assets into commercial opportunities for customers and partners. • Strong analytical, stakeholder management, and cross-functional leadership capabilities within highly matrixed organizations. • Native-level Japanese and business-fluent English. • Bachelor's degree required; MBA or equivalent advanced business qualification preferred. Successful Candidate Profile • Strategic thinker who identifies emerging cultural, entertainment, sports, and consumer trends and translates them into scalable partnership opportunities. • Entrepreneurial and hands-on leader with end-to-end ownership, from business case development and negotiation through activation and post-program evaluation. • Strong relationship builder capable of influencing senior executives,