Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard CMO
Raja Rajamannar is chief marketing and communications officer for Mastercard and founding president of its healthcare business. He serves as a member of the company’s executive leadership team and management committee.
Over the past decade, Raja has transformed Mastercard into one of the fastest-growing brands in the world. At the helm of the iconic Priceless platform, he and his team are on the cutting edge of experiential, multisensory marketing programs for consumers and customers around the world. Raja has extended the reach and impact of the brand by embracing artificial intelligence and Web3 technologies while pioneering new standards in inclusive design.
Raja’s leadership has propelled Mastercard to one of the top 10 most valuable brands in the world as well as the world’s No. 1 audio brand four years in a row. In 2022, the company was named top three in Ad Age’s 2022 Marketers of the Year. Recent innovations have earned accolades from Disability:IN, Fast Company, Cannes Lions and many other prestigious organizations.
A Wall Street Journal-bestselling author, Raja is a frequent speaker and media commentator. His book, “Quantum Marketing: Mastering the New Marketing Mindset for Tomorrow’s Consumers,” has become a touchstone for marketing leaders and academics around the world and is now available in nine languages.
As President of Healthcare, Raja focuses on driving value for healthcare industry stakeholders through innovative Mastercard assets such as data analytics, AI and cybersecurity solutions. Prior to Mastercard, Raja was chief transformation officer for the health insurance firm Elevance (formerly Anthem) and chief innovation and marketing officer for Humana. He’s held senior management roles with Unilever and Citibank.
Recently inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame and Forbes’ Most Influential CMOs Hall of Fame, Raja has been recognized as one of Insider’s Most Innovative CMOs six times. He was also named Advertising Person of the Year by The AD Club of New York, WFA Global Marketer of the Year, Adweek’s Brand Genius, Billboard’s Top Branding Power Player and Fashion Group International’s Tech and Brand Innovation Award recipient, among many other recognitions.
He is president of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and on the boards of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), The Ad Council and Yale School of Management Consumer Insights Council. He serves on the board of PPL Corporation, a U.S. Fortune 500 company (NYSE: PPL), and is also on several not-for-profit boards including Bon Secours Mercy Health, New York City Ballet and Cintrifuse.
Originally from India, Raja received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Osmania University and Master of Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore. He currently resides with his wife and younger son in the United States.
