Mastercard General Counsel Tapped To Chair National Urban League

The world of payments has provided a new leader to the National Urban League. Tim Murphy, general counsel for Mastercard, has become the 22nd chairman of the civil rights and urban advocacy group, according to a statement from the payment card network.

Murphy was elected to the post during the National Urban League’s Board of Trustees quarterly meeting in New York City. According to Mastercard, he begins his two-year term in November, serving as chair-elect until then. Murphy has served on the group’s board of trustees since 2015.

Mastercard hired Murphy in 2000. His job includes oversight of the payment card network’s legal affairs, public policy, corporate governance and compliance. “He is also responsible for Mastercard’s franchise, corporate security, privacy, and global inclusion teams,” the statement reads.

“The National Urban League has done more than any other organization to promote economic justice, sustainable communities and the spirit of entrepreneurship. I’m honored to be a part of that mission,” Murphy said as part of the National Urban League’s announcement. “Together, we will create more a stronger, more stable and vibrant nation for our children and grandchildren to inherit.”

The outgoing chairman of the National Urban League, Michael Neidorff, was president and CEO of Centene Corp., which focuses on managed healthcare. He took over as chairman in 2014 and had served on the board of trustees since 2010. Murphy thanked Neidorff “for his leadership and example of outstanding corporate citizenship.”

According to Mastercard, the company is a “longstanding partner of the National Urban League and shares its ideals for inclusive societies. The company has integrated inclusion and diversity into its core business strategy, helping people and businesses achieve greater financial security and prosperity,” the statement said. “Through these efforts, Mastercard has made steady progress toward bringing at least 500 million excluded people into the financial mainstream by 2020.”