CHRISTINE ESON-BENJAMIN
Senior Payments Transformation Leader
Dubai,United Arab Emirates
Work preference
Summary
Senior payments and digital transformation leader with 14+ years of experience across Visa, fintech, card issuing, digital payments and payment-platform modernisation in Europe and MENA. Deep expertise in issuer implementation, Visa and Mastercard scheme integration, digital issuance, tokenization, mobile wallets, scheme certification, regulatory readiness and complex payment migrations.
Known for translating technical, regulatory and operational requirements into scalable, compliant payment solutions for banks, fintechs, processors and scheme partners, while aligning product, technology, compliance and operational stakeholders through market launch and transformation programmes.
Overview
5
5
years of post-secondary education
15
15
years of professional experience
Work history
Independent Research & Professional Development
NA
Dubai
08.2024 - 09.2026
- Undertook a structured career transition period following senior payments leadership roles, combining personal priorities with payments-market research, professional development and preparation for re-entry into senior payments, fintech and digital transformation roles.
- Focus areas include real-time payments, embedded finance, open banking, domestic schemes, regulatory evolution, and the application of data-led business analysis and Generative AI to payments operations and decision-making.
Vice President, Card Schemes
PAPEL
Dubai
08.2023 - 07.2024
- Led card-scheme and issuing strategy for PAPEL's Turkey proposition, taking the Mastercard virtual card live and advancing the physical prepaid programme through processor, production and launch-readiness stages.
- Oversaw scheme, processor and card-production partner workstreams for authorisation, routing, settlement and reconciliation, manufacturing, personalisation and fulfilment.
- Co-led development of physical, virtual and premium/UHNW propositions, enhancing card controls, ATM functionality, funding journeys and customer/KYC experience design.
- Advanced TROY, FAST and Open Banking workstreams, aligning product, technology, compliance and operations to meet market-launch priorities and prepare for future wallet/tokenisation readiness.
Senior Implementation Manager
Visa Middle East
Dubai
08.2018 - 08.2023
- Delivered 100+ issuer implementations across MENA, enabling tokenisation, mobile wallets, digital-card enablement and payment-platform migrations for banks and financial institutions.
- Advised issuer clients on product, technology, risk, treasury and compliance requirements, translating complex scheme and technical requirements into effective implementation and launch solutions.
Migration Manager
Visa Europe
London
08.2017 - 08.2018
- Selected to lead migration activity for France and Switzerland onto Visa Inc.'s Global Processing Platform, coordinating approximately 128 banks, issuers, acquirers, processors and technology partners.
- Directed cross-border technical and operational dependencies across a complex, no-fallback migration programme supporting approximately 70 million cardholders.
- Led stakeholder communication, implementation governance and risk mitigation to protect operational continuity and programme timelines.
Implementation Analyst to Consultant
Visa Europe & Visa Middle East
London AND Dubai
05.2011 - 04.2017
- Delivered end-to-end card-scheme implementations for issuers across Europe and MENA, from configuration and certification through go-live.
- Managed integrations spanning tokenisation, digital cards, authorisation and scheme-compliant infrastructure, working across banks, processors and internal technology teams.
- Built deep expertise in scheme compliance, client readiness and practical problem solving across complex payment environments.
Education
MSc - Management Science
University of Southampton
UK 10.2009 - 10.2010
BA (Hons) - Business Finance
Durham University
UK 10.2003 - 06.2007
Executive Certificate - Strategic Thinking & Planning
Informa Middle East
U.A.E. 01.2023 - 01.2023
Enter your degree - Postgraduate Degree - Data Science With Generative AI
McCombs School of Business, University of Texas At Austin
03.2026 - 11.2026
Skills
- Payments Strategy & Transformation
- Card Issuing
- Digital Issuance
- Virtual & Premium Cards
- Visa & Mastercard Scheme Integration
- Scheme Certification
- Tokenization
- Mobile Wallets
- Issuer Processing
- Payment Platform Migration
- Regulatory Readiness
- Go-to-Market Delivery
SELECTED IMPACT
- 400+ Payment Projects & Implementations
Career-wide delivery across issuer implementations, migrations, tokenization, digital enablement and scheme readiness. - 100M+ Cardholders Impacted
Across major payment-platform and migration programmes. - 250+ Financial Institutions & Payment Partners
Career-wide engagement across banks, issuers, acquirers, processors, fintechs, technology partners and scheme stakeholders. - Led card-scheme and issuing strategy for PAPEL’s Turkey proposition, taking the Mastercard virtual card live and advancing the physical prepaid programme through processor, production and launch-readiness stages.
- Shaped physical, virtual and premium/UHNW card propositions while progressing TROY, FAST and Open Banking requirements across product, technology, compliance and operations.
- Supported major Visa migration activity across France and Switzerland, coordinating banks, issuers, acquirers, processors and technology partners through high-risk cross-border integration.
LEADERSHIP & COMMUNITY
Durham University Alumni
- Dubai Alumni Chapter Lead, Dubai, UAE, 2019-01, 2023-01
- Led professional and social engagement for the Durham community in the UAE and acted as liaison between the university and local alumni.
Living Splendor, Ghana
- Volunteer - Youth & Digital Literacy Initiatives, Ghana / Remote, 2024, Present
- Supported youth empowerment, digital literacy and economic empowerment initiatives through programme input and practical support.
Timeline
Enter your degree - Postgraduate Degree - Data Science With Generative AI
McCombs School of Business, University of Texas At Austin
03.2026 - 11.2026
Independent Research & Professional Development
NA
08.2024 - 09.2026
Vice President, Card Schemes
PAPEL
08.2023 - 07.2024
Executive Certificate - Strategic Thinking & Planning
Informa Middle East
01.2023 - 01.2023
Senior Implementation Manager
Visa Middle East
08.2018 - 08.2023
Migration Manager
Visa Europe
08.2017 - 08.2018
Implementation Analyst to Consultant
Visa Europe & Visa Middle East
05.2011 - 04.2017
MSc - Management Science
University of Southampton
10.2009 - 10.2010
BA (Hons) - Business Finance
Durham University
10.2003 - 06.2007