New technologies, globalization, an ever-faster pace of work and life, and recently the pandemic – all these have driven the digitalization of various industries, including the financial sector, in recent years, making quick, seamless payments a necessity for businesses rather than a privilege. A guest on the Impact'22 stage in May will be someone who has not only witnessed this development firsthand but has also had the opportunity to co-shape it – namely, Peter Bakenecker, President of Mastercard for Central Europe. Mastercard is one of the global pioneers in payment technologies. The guest of the spring edition of the Impact'22 conference, Peter Bakenecker, is the new President of Mastercard for Central Europe. He is therefore responsible for implementing the company's strategy in 11 European countries: Poland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Greece, Malta, and Cyprus. He oversees an exceptionally diverse portfolio – from Europe's largest economy and the region's technological leaders to countries whose economies rely heavily on international tourism and financial transactions. Such diversity is not new to the President of Mastercard for Central Europe – directly before taking on this role, Peter Bakenecker served as the company's General Manager for Germany and Switzerland. However, since joining Mastercard (in 2006), he has held various managerial positions. During his tenure at Mastercard, he has been, among other roles, head of the products division, led the business development department, and the digital payments division for Europe. For many years, he was also part of the management team of Mastercard Advisors, the company's consulting arm, covering all of Europe, Asia, the Pacific region, and the Middle East and Africa. Within Mastercard Advisors, he designed and built payment technology solutions for many diverse industries and geographical regions. Discovering new corners of the world and traveling is, incidentally, Peter Bakenecker's passion. A specialist in banking and finance, he also studied at prestigious universities worldwide – he holds an MBA in Banking and Finance from the University of Essen/Duisburg and the University of Technology Sydney. He also completed special executive programs at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Before starting his career at Mastercard, Bakenecker worked at consulting firms Batten & Company and Roland Berger Strategy, in departments focused on financial services. What Do Covid, New Technologies, and Football Have in Common? What exactly does the Impact guest do at Mastercard? Certainly not just complex and enigmatic financial processes. As head of Mastercard's regional division, Bakenecker oversaw, among other initiatives, the establishment of an innovative technological partnership between the company and Deutsche Bank, and… the football club Eintracht Frankfurt. “Digital payments are becoming a cornerstone in a COVID-affected world, hence our initiative,” the German sports club stated. Bakenecker himself commented on the project as follows: – Today, consumers expect digital solutions that enable simple, convenient, and secure payments anywhere. This also applies to the stadium and other public spaces like public transport. We are therefore all the more pleased that, as a technology company, together with our long-term partner Deutsche Bank, we are able to meet the region's needs by providing an intelligent payment system for Eintracht Frankfurt. But being a technological leader also means responsibility for shaping the surrounding world. This is behind Mastercard's commitment to supporting the World Food Programme, a UN agency dedicated to combating global hunger. Peter Bakenecker, among others, influenced the program's direction. He commented on this initiative: – At Mastercard, we strive to make giving a part of everyday life. By connecting this idea with our business and our technologies, we can proudly speak of Mastercard's eight years of support for the World Food Programme in partnership with Bank N26. Together, we want to show that technology can be a force for good. What challenges and opportunities await Bakenecker in his role as President for all of Central Europe? This expert in modern digital solutions will discuss this on May 11-12 during the next edition of the Impact conference – and the second one held in Poznań.