Michael Berner To Lead Visa's Expansion in Southern and Eastern Africa

Twenty-four Visa operations in the Southern and Eastern Africa (SEA) region now have a newly appointed head who will assume his duties immediately.

Michael Berner, who has been recently appointed, will report to Visa’s Regional President of Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA), Andrew Torre. He will continue as part of Visa’s CEMEA regional leadership team and will be based in Johannesburg, where he will lead Visa’s strategic operations in SEA.

With over two decades of experience in financial services, Berner brings a wealth of expertise to his new role. He joined Visa in 2019 as Country Manager, before progressing to Senior Vice President and Head of Merchant Sales and Acquiring for CEMEA. During his tenure at Visa, Berner has played an integral role in driving growth and innovation across the region.

He will focus on advancing Visa’s strategy in one of the world’s fastest-growing payments regions, working closely with clients, financial institutions, and governments to accelerate digital payments and financial inclusion.

Before joining Visa, Berner served as Managing Director and a Member of the Executive Board at Citibank Russia, where he built a strong foundation in financial services leadership.

“Southern and Eastern Africa is one of the fastest-growing payments regions in the world, and we’re excited to have Michael take on this critical role,” said Torre.

“The region has been at the forefront of driving digital payments innovation, and Visa has been a key player in its transformation for over 40 years. With Berner’s leadership, we look forward to accelerating our efforts to support clients and partners, introducing new solutions and services, and further driving the expansion of digital payments.”

Berner is equally excited about the new opportunity. “I am thrilled to lead Visa’s Southern and Eastern Africa team and look forward to collaborating with our partners, financial institutions, and governments to introduce new innovations, accelerate financial inclusion, and strengthen the payments ecosystem,” he said.

“The potential to expand digital payments in the region is enormous, and we are committed to bringing these benefits to even more consumers and businesses while enhancing the overall commerce experience.”

Berner’s qualifications include a degree from the Moscow Automobile and Road Institute (MADI) and a master’s degree in financial management. He has also completed several postgraduate programs at top institutions, including Columbia Business School, the University of California, Berkeley, and Harvard University.

Visa’s operations in Southern and Eastern Africa are pivotal to the company’s overall growth strategy, and Berner’s appointment reflects Visa’s commitment to strengthening its presence in this dynamic and rapidly evolving region.

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