Sasha (Alexandra) Zhdanova
Marketing Director | Mastercard | Google | McKinsey | Oxford | INSEAD
The move
MoveAbu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority → Mastercard
TitleAnjal Z Program Lead → Marketing Director, Services EEMEA
LocationAbu Dhabi → Dubai
Career arcRecent arrival
Cross-border moveNo — same country
Years in UAE5.1
Total experience17.0 years
Mastercard headcount10,001+ employees
Mastercard industryTechnology, Information and Internet
Mastercard HQPurchase, NY
Mastercard typePublic Company
Career arc
- Marketing Director, Services EEMEAAug 2025 — Present
Mastercard· Dubai, United Arab Emirates· Full-time
- Anjal Z Program LeadMay 2024 — Jul 2025AAbu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority· Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates· Full-time
- Independent ConsultantMay 2023 — May 2024·· Dubai, United Arab Emirates· Self-employed
- Consumer Apps Marketing LeadMar 2021 — May 2023
Google· Russia, UAE· Full-time
- Head of Brand & Reputation Marketing, Director of Business Class by GoogleNov 2019 — May 2022
- Founder, CEODec 2014 — Mar 2016
Jungle Kids· Moscow, Russian Federation
- Engagement ManagerAug 2010 — Nov 2019
McKinsey & Company· Moscow, Russian Federation· Full-time
- Risk Management ConsultantSep 2009 — Aug 2010
J C Rathbone Associates· London, United Kingdom
- Summer AnalystJun 2008 — Aug 2008
Goldman Sachs
- Summer InternJul 2007 — Aug 2007
Monitor Group
- InternJun 2006 — Aug 2006
MICEX Stock Exchange
Education
- State University — Higher School of EconomicsBSc · Economics2004 — 2008
- The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)BSc · Economics2005 — 2008
- Saïd Business School, University of OxfordMSc · Financial Economics2008 — 2009
- University of OxfordPresent
- INSEADMaster of Business Administration - MBASep 2013 — Jul 2014
Top skills
Brand MarketingInnovation ManagementMergers & Acquisitions (M&A)User Experience (UX)Service DesignProduct Strategy
About
15 years of work experience in the UAE, UK and Eastern Europe | 7 years of building and leading high-performing teams | Proven track record of: - Launching & growing Digital Products. - Designing high-ROI Marketing strategies. - Establishing unique public-private partnerships | 3 times Effie winner | Startup founder, inventor and patent-holder | Author of a 500,000-copies textbook on Personal Finance.