What a Successful Sibos 2026 Looks Like for Mastercard's Pratik Khowala

Quick Summary

Pratik Khowala, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Transfer Solutions at Mastercard, says success at Sibos 2026 is not about closing deals, but about the industry reaching common ground on solving SME cross-border payments together, and turning conversations from last year's Sibos into implementation this time round.

What would make Sibos 2026 a success for Pratik Khowala?

Having attended once before, Khowala says the highest measure of success would be partners reaching common ground that the industry has to solve the SME money movement problem together. He values Sibos precisely because "there are very few events where you can get so many people together who can co-create and really innovate and partner to bring solutions to the ground."

Is this about winning business?

Khowala is explicit that it is not about "selling this solution to this bank or that bank." It is about how partners come together. His takeaway from his last Sibos was a sense that everyone in the room is trying to solve the same problem, and that coming together makes solving it faster.

What does he hope has changed since last time?

Khowala is hoping for real progress since the previous Sibos, and says this is "not just theory": some of the discussions from last year's show are now being implemented.

FF NEWS TAKE:

A Mastercard executive framing success at a major industry event as collaboration rather than sales is a notable tone-setter for Sibos 2026, and it lines up with the collaborative pitch behind Mastercard Move as connective infrastructure rather than a walled garden. Whether last year's conversations really have turned into live implementation is worth watching for on the Miami show floor.