MY CAREER IN SIX SPOTLIGHT

Leah Rocheleau

Vice President, Digital & Retail Partnership

Mastercard

Sharing her career journey by answering the six questions below.

Who or what has been your biggest source of inspiration throughout your career?

I have always been inspired by solving problems. From university through to my early career as a business consultant, I was motivated by tackling complex challenges and equipping my customers with the tools to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently.

In more recent roles, I’ve continue to be inspired by problem-solving and overcoming obstacles – whether that’s an interesting analytical question or a challenging customer relationship – and I particularly enjoy solving problems alongside my leaders, peers, and teams.

Would you say your success is primarily due to luck or hard work?

I have never been a stranger to hard work and I’d be remiss not to attribute a significant part of my career growth and leadership opportunities to my work ethic. That said, I believe where I am today is a combination of circumstance and choice – including how I have responded to the opportunities and challenges in front of me. That includes leaning in early in my career to seek advancement and greater responsibility, taking a leap of faith to move to Australia, and most recently stepping into a new function of Mastercard.

What is the driving force behind your career aspirations?

My primary driving force is creating meaningful impact through leadership – both for my clients and for my teams. I’m motivated by collaborating with others, building high-performing teams, and ensuring our work delivers measurable value for both our customers and the business.

If given the chance to do one thing differently in your career, what would it be and why?

For much of my career, I followed the expected path – from steadily climbing the ladder in my consulting career to moving into business development after my company was acquired by Mastercard.

The two biggest leaps of faith I’ve taken were my move to Australia and my recent career pivot at Mastercard – both opportunities that came through leaders who believed in me, rather than through my own active pursuit. While I’m incredibly grateful for that trust, I’d like to be more proactive in seeking out new and unexpected opportunities going forward.

What was your most favourite job/role and why?

If I had to choose one role of my career it was my last few years at APT, an analytical Saas company, which Mastercard acquired in 2015. That period included a few years in San Francisco leading the Retail and Telco practices, followed by my move to Sydney to lead the Australian business.

Having started my career in consulting and delivery, I really enjoyed the gradual transition into business development – winning new customers while still being responsible and following through on delivery. It was a high intensity period with a lot of travel, but also a huge amount of growth, development, and impact, which kept me engaged and motivated.

Do you have a favourite motto or quote that guides your professional life?

My first company instilled the motto “Make it Happen” in its leaders and teams, and it’s something I still carry with me today. To me, “Make it Happen” means taking ownership to achieve the desired outcome, even in the face of obstacles, ambiguity, and imperfect conditions. It reflects a bias for action and results, personal accountability, and a problem-solving mindset.”