Strategy Manager

Senior Director / EVP, Issuing Strategy and Growth About Pine Labs Pine Labs is a leading global commerce and financial technology company, headquartered in Singapore and operating across India, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, US, and Australia. Our platforms power merchant payments, consumer credit, and issuing at scale, helping millions of businesses embrace digital financial products seamlessly. In issuing , Pine Labs provides end-to-end prepaid, stored value, and open-loop solutions that serve consumers and enterprises across industries — from retail and travel to BFSI, FMCG, and e-commerce. We enable companies to design and operate innovative card-based and digital issuance programs, including gift cards, corporate rewards, expense management, transit, fleet, and financial inclusion use cases. Our mission is to create the infrastructure that powers the next generation of digital issuance , combining scale, regulatory rigor, and product innovation. We are seeking a seasoned and forward-thinking leader to drive strategy and growth for Pine Labs’ Issuing business globally. This role will define the roadmap for open-loop, semi-closed-loop, and closed-loop issuance , covering product innovation, distribution, regulatory expansion, and cross-border partnerships. You will shape Pine Labs’ global strategy in prepaid and stored value issuance , drive key partnerships with banks, networks, and fintechs, and identify inorganic and organic growth opportunities. This role requires strong strategic acumen, deep understanding of payments ecosystems, and comfort operating across multiple regulatory markets. Define and drive the long-term global strategy for Pine Labs’ issuing business across prepaid, stored value, open-loop, and semi-closed-loop ecosystems. Lead strategic initiatives across distribution, program management, and partnerships — including collaborations with BIN sponsors, card networks, and regional issuers. Develop scalable frameworks for use cases such as transit and mobility, fleet and expense management, rewards and loyalty, and embedded finance issuance . Partner with regulatory, legal, and compliance teams to navigate frameworks under RBI, MAS, and other global regulators , ensuring compliant expansion. Engage with Visa, Mastercard, RuPay, and local networks to design and operationalize new program structures. Build business cases, market models, and pricing strategies to guide new product and market entry decisions. Evaluate and lead strategic partnerships, investments, and M&A opportunities in the issuing and stored value domains. Collaborate closely with sales, product, engineering, and operations to ensure strategic priorities translate into commercial outcomes. Mentor internal teams, building capabilities in market sizing, regulatory assessment, and program structuring . Bachelor’s degree from a top-tier institution; MBA or advanced degree preferred. ~12–15+ years of experience, including 5–8 years in strategy, business leadership, or product roles in payments, fintech, or issuing . ~ Proven experience in one or more of: issuer processing, network partnerships, prepaid card management, or embedded issuing platforms . ~ Strong understanding of regulatory environments across India, Southeast Asia, and other key global markets. ~ Demonstrated experience with cross-border issuance, BIN sponsorships , and program management frameworks . ~ Exposure to blockchain-based issuance models , tokenized value systems, or decentralized settlement infrastructure. Lead the global strategy for one of the most exciting and fast-evolving fintech businesses in the region. Work closely with leadership teams and partners across markets, networks, and regulators. Shape the next generation of digital issuance at scale, influencing both product and market direction. Contribute meaningfully to a mission that’s transforming how businesses and consumers interact with digital value.