Inclusive Growth and Breaking the Glass Ceiling with Mastercard’s Subhashini Chandran

How do we achieve inclusive growth and break the glass ceiling? Subhashini Chandran, Mastercard’s SVP of Social Impact, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Africa, shares insights from her journey—from leading India’s largest tea business to driving global initiatives that empower women and foster equitable growth. With a deep understanding of systemic challenges and opportunities in global supply chains, Subhashini highlights how technology, collaboration, and thoughtful regulation can create a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Discussion Highlights:

• Subhashini Chandran’s journey: From the help of India’s largest tea business to leading SVP of Social Impact at Mastercard, Subhashini reflects on her unique path and the lessons learned along the way.  
• The Transformative Power of Financial Inclusion for Women: Subhashini shares how empowering women financially creates ripple effects, improving education, family well-being, and local economies while advancing equitable opportunities.
• Women in Leadership Roles: BCG’s global study finds that, despite gender parity in these functions, women hold only about one-third of the senior finance positions. The discrepancy is even greater for the function’s top job: only 13% of the companies studied have a woman CFO.
• Technology as a Catalyst for Inclusive Growth: Digital tools and data-driven strategies are reshaping financial inclusion and development. Through her work, Subhashini highlights how technology bridges gaps in access and opportunity.
• Challenges in Global Supply Chains: Subhashini highlights the systemic barriers she sees in global supply chains, and addresses the need for fair practices, diverse representation, and sustainability in sourcing and production.
• Coordinated Efforts and Regulations: Emphasizing the necessity of alignment between governments, private companies, and multilateral organizations, the guest discusses how thoughtful regulations can drive systemic change and inclusive growth.
• Actionable Steps for Inclusive Growth: Subhashini offers practical suggestions encouraging individuals to contribute to equity, sustainability, and progress through small, meaningful actions in their daily lives.

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Hosted by Nora Hocke, a manager at BCG Platinion in Munich, and Annika Melchert, a principal currently based in the Middle East, our hosts specialize in IT strategy, modern tech architecture, and state-of-the-art banking. In their work, they've collaborated with some of today's most innovative Fintechs to transform their organizations; including supporting generative Al use cases. With their unique blend of tech expertise and passion, they bring you stories that capture the essence of the evolving Fintech landscape. This season, we're thrilled to introduce Bianca Lopes. Originally from Brazil and currently based in Denmark, Bianca is an entrepreneur and economist with a remarkable background in digital identity and biometrics. Throughout her career, she has supported over 40 financial institutions and 8 governments, reshaping their approach to technology, reimagining identity, and driving innovation agendas.

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