Safe Agile is ruining the culture and work ethic within MC Vocalink. - Platform Architect Mastercard Employee Review

2.0
Mar 6, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Most of the people are superb, helpful and will do anything to get the job done. The teams collaborate extremely well and are only let down by the poor tools enforced on them to use! Fantastic benefits, a great pension and the pay is satisfactory although the pay rises are not.

Cons

SAFE AGILE is turning the business into a complete joke. One individual has already stated that they have seen additional support costs of over £2 Million due to SAFE AGILE or "PPA" as its known being unable to deliver in a timely manner. Cost such as these were never needed prior to SAFe being implemented. I was made redundant for financial reasons but it's ok for these additional costs to spiral because people haven't got the courage to speak up and say THIS DOES NOT WORK. Middle management are too scared to actually admit this. If you have a voice here they will get rid of you!

Explore other reviews about Mastercard

5.0
May 24, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great culture. Stable. Analytical and rewarding if you find the right product.

Cons

Slower career growth. Not as influential

4.0
May 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Mastercard does a great job fostering an inclusive and supportive environment. There are genuinely good people throughout the organization, and leadership often invests in employee engagement through events, recognition, and culture-building initiatives. I enjoyed many of the relationships I built while working there, and there are teams that truly care about collaboration and supporting one another.

Cons

Compensation at the director level did not feel competitive compared to the level of responsibility expected. Career advancement can also be extremely challenging due to how top-heavy the organization is with senior leadership roles. There are a large number of Senior Vice Presidents, sometimes without clear scope or experience aligned to the title, which creates limited room for high-performing employees to grow. At times, it felt like senior leaders were being hired primarily to manage or communicate with other senior leaders, rather than drive meaningful operational impact. In product and go-to-market roles especially, priorities are often heavily driven by funding decisions. It can be frustrating when projects suddenly shift in importance or remain underfunded for long periods of time while awaiting senior leadership review. This sometimes leaves highly talented employees in limbo, unable to move initiatives forward despite strong momentum or market opportunity. The organization can also be very comfortable with the status quo, which creates a slower pace that many employees seem accustomed to. For people who are highly motivated and eager to drive change, it can feel difficult to navigate the number of roadblocks and layers of approval required to move initiatives forward.

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