Director, Europe Government Engagement - Nordics and Baltics

at  visa

Company Description
Visa is a world leader in payments and technology, with over 259 billion payments transactions flowing safely between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities in more than 200 countries and territories each year. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable, and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive while driven by a common purpose – to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.
Make an impact with a purpose-driven industry leader. Join us today and experience Life at Visa.
Job Description
The Director Nordics & Baltics Government Engagement (GE) is a full-time role based in Copenhagen, covering (countries may change over time) Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland, and with oversight over the Nordics and Baltics cluster. The role reports directly to the VP, UK, Ireland, Nordics and Baltics, Government Engagement and has one direct report. The role is part of the broader Europe Government Engagement team. Some travel in the region will be required from time to time.
This role is focused on Visa’s Government Engagement. There is a focus on delivering Visa’s Government engagement strategy, including support for Visa executives to execute strategic engagement, working to deliver proactive strategic opportunities to work with the Governments and Regulators in the cluster and helping to ensure that policy frameworks are conducive to a fair, competitive and successful operating environment for Visa’s current and future business.

Headline objectives of the role are:

• Deliver one approach to Government Engagement. Take a holistic and scalable approach to Government Engagement across the Nordics and Baltics, to drive consistency in our narrative and in the execution of all positioning and advocacy efforts.

Develop and execute a clear & comprehensive, documented, embedded market-based strategy, underpinned by and complementing our wider European strategy to advocacy, engagement and thought leadership.

• Support deep and value adding client engagement to help accelerate revenue growth.
• Support a best in class, highly motivated and outcome orientated Government Engagement Team in Europe. Use a one Visa approach to communication, transparency and knowledge sharing across Visa Europe region and beyond.
• Support Visa’s License to Operate. Ensure that engagement strategies work to mitigate impacts on the business from identified high risk programmes in the cluster.
• Ensure impact and inclusion across the Europe regional team.

What we expect of you, day to day:

• Core Engagement: Oversee effective short/medium/long term Government & Regulatory Engagement strategies you’re your markets, and oversee the same activity across the Nordics and Baltics. The aim is to position Visa as trusted partner, including stakeholder maps of key decision makers in the cluster, to use for Global, European and local executive engagement as required.
• Strategic Engagement: Identify and highlight strategic engagement opportunities to ensure Visa can influence the regulatory set up in digital payments and related policies across the Nordics and Baltics. Provide advice and support for strategic executive engagements, seek to ensure all strategic matters are joined up with internal and external events.
• Campaigns: Ensure delivery of integrated strategies allowing broad engagement and promotion of Visa’s thought leadership through a range of medium. Promote Visa’s reputation and profile by overseeing & ensuring Visa presence at key political events, including attendance and speaking opportunities from time to time.
• Client Engagement: Deliver systematic, documented and effective engagement plans for top clients and strategic merchants in your markets and oversee the same activity Nordics and Baltics to create deep relationships that matter. Identify and push mobilisation of client engagement across key shared strategic issues.

Leadership Responsibilities:

• Manage the team, ensuring they co-operate seamlessly amongst themselves to meet their goals, in alignment with Visa regulatory and business strategy.
• Manage regular performance and feedback conversations including development plans, where required.
• Work constructively in different markets with other functions, across the regional and global environment, in a matrix environment.
• Share know how and expertise with GE counterparties in other clusters and regions.
• Drive the continuous enhancement of function, toolkit and staff. Ensure optimization of meeting targets and objectives by suggesting best practices.
• Communicate openly, timely and effectively with executives to ensure awareness of main regulatory, policy and engagement developments and strategy to protect Visa business and reputation.
• Maintain relentless focus on the bigger picture, strategic approach.
• Promote diversity and inclusion in all engagements.

This is a hybrid position. Hybrid employees can alternate time between both remote and office. Employees in hybrid roles are expected to work from the office 2-3 set days a week (determined by leadership/site), with a general guidepost of being in the office 50% or more of the time based on business needs.
Qualifications

Essential: Experience in relevant corporate positions, regulatory or government agency and/or consultancy in equivalent sector

• Essential: Experience partnering with government relations and public affairs partners
• Essential: Active network of regulators and policy makers in the Nordics and Baltics
• Essential: People management and leadership experience
• Essential: Experience in payments industry
• Essential: Crisis management and response skills and experience
• Essential: Strong communication skills and stakeholder management with C-suite level
• Essential: Proven ability to think ahead, engage proactively and take initiative
• Desirable: Experience in complex matrix organizations
• Desirable: Law, Economy or Political Science or equivalent degree
• Desirable: In-depth knowledge of the electronic payments/banking industry/crypto/fintech

Additional Information
Visa is an EEO Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law

Headline objectives of the role are:

• Deliver one approach to Government Engagement. Take a holistic and scalable approach to Government Engagement across the Nordics and Baltics, to drive consistency in our narrative and in the execution of all positioning and advocacy efforts

Leadership Responsibilities:

• Manage the team, ensuring they co-operate seamlessly amongst themselves to meet their goals, in alignment with Visa regulatory and business strategy.
• Manage regular performance and feedback conversations including development plans, where required.
• Work constructively in different markets with other functions, across the regional and global environment, in a matrix environment.
• Share know how and expertise with GE counterparties in other clusters and regions.
• Drive the continuous enhancement of function, toolkit and staff. Ensure optimization of meeting targets and objectives by suggesting best practices.
• Communicate openly, timely and effectively with executives to ensure awareness of main regulatory, policy and engagement developments and strategy to protect Visa business and reputation.
• Maintain relentless focus on the bigger picture, strategic approach.
• Promote diversity and inclusion in all engagements