About Pooja Bhachu

Pooja Bhachu, policy engagement on inclusion, supporting small businesses, and sustainability in the UK and EU. She is also Chair of The Payments Association’s Project Inclusion, a cross industry group set up to inform and collaborate with government, regulators and third sector bodies, on payments innovations and policy solutions that can support financial inclusion. She is co-author of a number of policy papers including ‘Building Better Lives Across The UK’ and ‘Get Britain Growing: how digital payments technologies enable growth: pathways to inclusion’. Prior to joining Mastercard, Pooja set up and managed policy and industry engagements at the UK’s Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), the world’s first dedicated economic regulator of payment systems. Pooja started her career as a Civil Servant in HM Government, as Assistant Private Secretary to the UK Government’s Chief Whip in Downing Street. Pooja Bhachu has held policy positions in the financial services sector and government for over 15 years. Pooja holds an MSc in International Politics, and BA in Economics & Politics, specialising in the region of South Asia, both from the School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London. She is married, with three young children.