Job Description

Reports to:

CEO

Location:

Europe (Preference given to London, Dublin)



The VP, Business Development and Growth Europe, is a senior role responsible for representing and expanding the Merchant Risk Council's (MRC) European presence and driving commercial growth in the region. This role is at the forefront of building and strengthening relationships with members, new prospects, regulators, and industry leaders across the region.



In addition, the individual will be responsible for identifying and developing global opportunities in partnership with supporting MRC teams. The VP will serve as a trusted subject matter expert in fraud, payments, and risk, regularly speaking at conferences, engaging with regulators on advocacy matters, and representing MRC as a thought leader in the ecosystem.



The successful candidate will be a dynamic executive capable of navigating both member engagement and commercial growth. They will oversee education and business development initiatives, help expand MRC's European membership base, and foster strategic partnerships that advance the organization's mission. This is both a strategic and hands-on role - one day presenting MRC's perspective to regulators, another building new membership pipelines, and later hosting executives at networking events.

Key Responsibilities:

European Leadership & Advocacy

Serve as MRC's senior representative in Europe, strengthening the organization's visibility and voice across the region. Represent MRC before regulators, policymakers, and industry associations to advocate for members' interests and advance MRC's advocacy agenda. Act as a subject matter expert in fraud, payments, and risk, delivering keynote presentations and participating in panels at leading industry events. Support monitoring efforts, providing insights on evolving European policies and their implications for members.

Growth & Business Development

Own bundled sales of MRC's education portfolio and related offerings to members and prospects. Partner with the Membership team to identify, recruit, and retain merchants and solution providers, with a focus on high-value growth opportunities Develop and execute strategies for penetrating new verticals and markets. Collaborate with Events and Marketing teams to design and deliver annual engagement and sales plans for solution providers.

Membership & Relationship Management

Build strong, trusted relationships with European members, partners, and industry stakeholders through proactive engagement. Provide support to merchants and solution providers, ensuring their needs and market challenges are understood and addressed. Collaborate with global membership and accounting teams to optimize structure, streamline processes, and support retention.

Events, Programs, Content & Communities

Partner with Events and Content teams to deliver impactful European conferences, webinars, and networking events. Act as onsite host and support MRC Connects events in Europe, including sponsor outreach and content delivery. Support the development of European-focused webinars and community groups, ensuring programming reflects regional priorities and member needs.

Strategic Leadership

Contribute to MRC's global growth strategy by providing European market intelligence and recommendations on emerging trends in fraud and payments. Collaborate with Membership, Education, Advocacy, and Events teams to deliver measurable impact for members. Act as a senior voice within the MRC team, representing European priorities in global decision-making.

Qualifications:

Must be based in Europe, preferably London, Dublin, or another major payments hub. 10+ years of experience in fraud prevention, payments, or eCommerce leadership. 10+ years of executive-level business development, growth, or regional leadership experience in a membership, association, or B2B SaaS context. Proven track record of building and managing senior stakeholder relationships, including regulators, policymakers, and executives. Exceptional public speaking and presentation skills, with experience addressing C-level audiences and regulatory forums. Strong knowledge of the European fraud, payments, and regulatory landscape. 10+ years of management experience, with demonstrated success building and leading teams. Strategic thinker with a hands-on, entrepreneurial approach to growth and execution. Comfortable working in a fast-paced, lean global organization with cross-functional collaboration. Willingness and ability to travel extensively across Europe and internationally (40-60%). Over 5 years of hands-on experience with CRM (Salesforce preferred).

Key Competencies:

Strategic growth mindset with executive presence Strong relationship-building and negotiation skills Ability to influence and advocate with regulators and policymakers Skilled communicator across diverse audiences and geographies Data-driven decision-maker with commercial acumen Collaborative leadership style with cultural adaptability Hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves approach to execution

About the Merchant Risk Council

The Merchant Risk Council (MRC) is a global non-profit trade association for payments and fraud professionals, established in 2000. With a presence in North America, Europe, APAC and LATAM, MRC provides a platform for its members through education, advocacy, collaboration and networking. Program and service offerings address the challenges and opportunities in the payments ecosystem, providing our members with the knowledge and resources necessary to navigate the rapidly evolving payments industry. The membership base represents a diverse range of industries, including e-commerce, retail, travel, and financial services, reflecting the organization's commitment to promoting safer and more secure commerce across sectors.