Richard Verma

Rich Verma is chief administrative officer for Mastercard, overseeing the company’s Law, Government Affairs and Policy, Franchise, Corporate Security, Community & Belonging and Global Entity Governance functions. He is a member of the company’s Executive Leadership Team and Management Committee.

Rich has a distinguished background as a public servant. He was deputy secretary of state for management and resources from 2023 to 2025, acting as chief operating officer for the State Department. He was also previously the U.S. ambassador to India and led one of the largest U.S. diplomatic missions championing historic progress in bilateral ties.

Rich also has extensive experience in the private sector. Prior to his State Department tenure, Rich was chief legal officer and head of global public policy at Mastercard. He is a former partner at Steptoe & Johnson and vice chairman of The Asia Group.

He is a U.S. Air Force veteran and the recipient of numerous military and civilian decorations. Rich is a board member of the Ford Foundation and the inaugural President’s Distinguished Fellow at Lehigh, where he earned his Bachelor of Science. Rich also holds post-graduate degrees from American University and Georgetown University, including a PhD in International Relations from Georgetown.