Visa Inc. has appointed Tareq Muhmood as Regional President for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA), the company announced today. In his new role, Muhmood will oversee operations across more than 86 markets, representing one of Visa’s most dynamic and rapidly expanding regions.
With over three decades of experience in banking and payments, Muhmood steps into the position after serving as head of Value-Added Services for Visa Europe. He joined Visa in 2019 as Group Country Manager for Southeast Asia and has previously held senior roles at Ahli United Bank, ANZ, and HSBC.
Muhmood will be based in Dubai and report to Oliver Jenkyn, Visa’s Group President of Global Markets. His appointment is effective immediately.
“Tareq’s global perspective and deep knowledge of financial services and high-growth markets make him uniquely suited to lead the CEMEA region,” said Jenkyn. “He brings both leadership excellence and a proven ability to drive results in complex, fast-evolving environments.”
Muhmood succeeds Andrew Torre, who has taken on a new role as President of Visa’s Value-Added Services division. The business unit has grown into a $9 billion segment, delivering an impressive annualized growth rate of 20% since 2021.
The CEMEA region encompasses more than 1,800 clients and is supported by 23 local offices. It represents a critical growth area for Visa as digital payments continue to expand across emerging and frontier markets.
In his remarks, Muhmood expressed both pride and anticipation about returning to the region in a leadership capacity.
“It is a great honour to lead Visa’s operations across CEMEA, a region where I’ve spent more than a third of my career,” he said. “These markets are diverse, vibrant, and ripe with opportunity. I look forward to building on the strong foundation laid by my predecessor and accelerating the digital transformation of commerce and payments for consumers and businesses alike.”
Muhmood’s appointment underscores Visa’s strategic focus on global expansion and digital innovation. With financial inclusion, digital infrastructure, and economic digitisation gaining momentum across CEMEA, the company is positioning itself to deepen partnerships and advance its mission of connecting the world through reliable and secure payment technology.
As the payments landscape continues to evolve, Muhmood’s leadership is expected to further solidify Visa’s role in shaping the digital future of financial services in one of the world’s most dynamic regions.
