Mastercard’s chief marketing and communications officer, Raja Rajamannar, is stepping down after twelve years in the role.

He will be succeeded by Jill Kramer, who joins from her role as Accenture’s chief marketing and communications officer on 1 December.

During his tenure, Rajamannar repositioned Mastercard’s marketing strategy, moving away from traditional advertising towards experiential and multisensory marketing. Speaking to Marketing Week in July, he said he was “shocked” at how slow the wider industry has been to follow suit.

Under his leadership over the past decade, Mastercard has made significant pivots. In 2019, the company dropped the name from its logo, and introduced a sonic brand identity.

Rajamannar has also been a vocal advocate for learning and development, describing it as a “huge priority” for any CMO as technology advances, offering more tools at marketers’ disposal, in an interview with Marketing Week last year.

Reflecting on his time at the brand, Rajamannar wrote on LinkedIn: “Together, we reimagined what marketing could be. We pioneered multisensory marketing, introduced symbol branding, created a sonic identity that resonated around the world, and explored what a brand could look, sound, and even feel like.”

Rajamannar will remain with Mastercard as a senior fellow.

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Mastercard’s CEO Michael Miebach describes Rajamannar’s impact on marketing – and the wider marketing industry – as “nothing short of transformative”.

“His creativity, passion and relentless pursuit of excellence have inspired all of us and helped make Mastercard one of the world’s most admired brands. We are deeply grateful for his leadership and look forward to his continued contributions,” he adds.

Miebach adds that Kramer’s “global perspective and deep expertise in B2B marketing will be invaluable” as the business continues to accelerate its growth and innovation. “Her leadership and vision are exactly what we need for this next chapter”.

Kramer has led Accenture as CMCO since 2020, overseeing a period in which the business doubled its brand value, according to Interbrand’s Best Global Brands ranking. Before joining Accenture in 2015, she held senior leadership roles at agencies BBDO and DDB.