OREANDA-NEWS. November 13, 2015. MasterCard today announced a series of executive appointments that will drive greater alignment and continue to evolve the company’s “Global Products and Solutions” and “Operations and Technology” business units. The appointments will become effective January 1, 2016.

Ed McLaughlin has been named chief information officer. In this new role, McLaughlin will be responsible for ensuring the company efficiently delivers software development and integration efforts at the highest standards. For the past five years, he served as chief emerging payments officer, leading the development and launch of the company’s digital platforms, including MasterPass, the MDES digital token program and P2P payments.

McLaughlin originally joined MasterCard in 2005 as head of Bill Payment and Healthcare. He later served as chief franchise development officer before assuming his current role. Earlier in his career, McLaughlin led product and strategy at Metavante and was a co-founder and CEO of Paytrust, an online payments company.

“We’ve been able to leverage our technology and know-how across the globe, putting meaningful products in the hands of our customers and cardholders,” said Rob Reeg, president of MasterCard Operations and Technology. “Ed’s appointment to this critical role allows us to build on a strong foundation, while maximizing the valuable talent we already have in the company.”

Garry Lyons, chief innovation officer, will now lead the Digital Payments and MasterCard Labs organizations. He will be responsible for consolidating the development and delivery of emerging digital payments solutions to ensure a high quality consumer and merchant experience. In 2010, Lyons led the launch of MasterCard Labs, the company’s global research and development arm focused on payments innovation, delivering additional consumer shopping convenience.

Lyons served as chief executive officer for Orbiscom prior to its acquisition by MasterCard. He has also held senior technology and management positions with Cognotec, Credo and ICL.

Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing officer, will add communications to his responsibilities. He will also help the company explore new business opportunities in various sectors, drawing on his global experience in different industries, from Citi to Unilever to Humana.

Chris Monteiro will become chief communications and digital marketing officer, reporting to Rajamannar. Together, Rajamannar and Monteiro will work closely to drive alignment across the company’s marketing, internal and external communications activities.

“These moves will drive tighter integration across the organization allowing us to enhance our product offering and brand experiences in an increasingly digital world,” said Gary Flood, president, Global Products and Solutions, MasterCard.