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INVESTING IN THE
REGION
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By Debra Solomon
Baker
 ROY DUNBAR
president, MasterCard—Global Technology and Operations
As they toss their credit card onto the counter and wait to scribble
their John Hancock on the line, few consumers reflect on how in
the world this whole credit card process even works. After all,
why would they? The transactions just seem so simple, even magical.
This “magic,” at least for those using a MasterCard, is primarily
the result of the behind-the-scenes work of the 2,000 employees
at the Global Technology and Opera-tions headquarters, based right
here in O’Fallon, Mo. It is here where technologists are continually
developing newer and faster ways to accurately process data from
millions of transactions each day.
O’Fallon is the world’s largest MasterCard site.
The fact that MasterCard even has such a massive presence here is
a well-kept secret that President Roy Dunbar would like to unveil.
Dunbar hopes, through time, to see local credit card users become
as fiercely loyal to MasterCard as St. Louis’s beer drinkers are
to Anheuser-Busch.
He expects that the recent IPO (MasterCard went public last May),
will help to increase understanding of the services provided by
Master-Card. One recent innovation, for example, is a payment card
that allows contact-less transactions. Wave the card. Snap, snap…
approval is given and a receipt is issued. That, according to Dunbar,
is saving businesses such as McDonald’s, valuable time.
Dunbar, who has been with the company for just under two years,
joined MasterCard from Eli Lilly, where he worked for 14 years.
This Jamaican-born leader describes the journey with MasterCard
as tremendous.
“It is very exciting to be at the heart of an industry that is facilitating
global payments,” he says. “My world is centered in O’Fallon, but
my responsibilities are global.”
It is not uncommon, for instance, for Dunbar to spend part of a
work week in O’Fallon and then to finish the week in Europe.
When in town, however, Dunbar’s world is also centered in University
City, where he makes his home. He enjoys the cosmopolitan attitude
and, he says, even the commute to work, during which time he listens
to public radio (KWMU) or books on tape.
When he arrives on the O’Fallon campus, Dunbar knows that he is
amongst a smart, capable, and, he admits proudly, a very healthy
group of individuals. The company has a strong focus on healthcare
for its employees. For instance, when an on-site fitness center
opened last October with the goal of 400 employee-members within
a year, that goal was reached in fewer than six months.
When not exercising at the gym or strolling around the campus’s
one-mile walking trail, Master-Card’s employees can be found deeply
involved in philanthropic efforts, such as The United Way and Junior
Achievement.
LEADERSHIP CIRCL INSIGHTS
How do you stay abreast of the more significant changes in technology?
“Staying abreast of changes in technology can be quite challenging.
I learn a great deal from my staff and peers in the business environment.
Reuters.com is also a key resource for me and I read updates in
the Wall Street Journal and a few different magazines and e-newsletters.
Technology changes so much and applications vary greatly, there’s
always something to learn.”
KERRY CASEY
senior site officer & senior vice president
Customer Order Management Center, Reuters America Operations
“Several methods are used to stay abreast of technology changes:
1. Industry Period-icals such as PC Week, Information Week, Computer
World, Federal Computer Week, Washington Technology, Fortune, etc.
2. Books such as “The World is Flat” 3. Internet Research 4. Academia-Text
books (I am an adjunct Professor at Washington University—since
1987—and teach courses in Operating Systems and Network Management.)”
Brenda Newberry,
president and CEO,
The Newberry Group Inc.
“Our membership on the telecom standards making body gives us the
inside track on new technologies (e.g., Voice over Internet Protocol,
wireless VoIP, E-911) well before they come to the attention of
the market or the press. The second way we stay on top of technology
is through vendor non-disclosures—a privilege we receive because
we are independent of all manufacturers and carriers, and the vendors
trust us to be objective. Our business is based on getting the best
analysis to our clients, so having the best data is critical.”
Dorthy lockhard,
president
Dietrich Lockard Group Inc. |
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