Boardroom Alpha
Meeting calendar
MA · Annual meeting · Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Mastercard Inc

11 nominees · 5 ballot items.

Election of 11 directors; advisory (non-binding) approval of executive compensation (say-on-pay); ratification of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as independent auditor for 2026; consideration of a stockholder proposal to permit shareholder action by written consent; and consideration of a stockholder proposal to adopt cumulative voting for director elections.

Market cap
$472.9B
1Y TSR
-8.3%
Board grade
C
Record date
Apr 21, 2026
Filing
DEF 14A
Meeting concluded · Jun 16, 2026

Follow how the vote landed and what changed on Mastercard Inc’s board — director track records, governance grades, and ongoing monitoring — on the Boardroom Alpha platform.

Proposals

On the ballot5

  1. 1

    Election of Directors

    ManagementBoard: FOR

    Elect 11 nominees named in the proxy statement to serve on Mastercard’s Board of Directors for one-year terms, each elected annually by Class A stockholders.

  2. 2

    Advisory approval of Mastercard’s executive compensation

    ManagementBoard: FOR

    Non-binding, advisory 'say-on-pay' vote to approve the compensation of Mastercard’s named executive officers as disclosed in the proxy statement.

    More detail

    This proposal asks stockholders to cast an advisory (non-binding) vote to approve Mastercard’s named executive officer compensation as disclosed in the proxy statement. Management is seeking shareholder endorsement of its overall pay philosophy and programs — which emphasize pay-for-performance, significant equity-based compensation (PSUs, RSUs, options), and alignment of executives’ interests with long-term stockholder value — rather than approval of any single component of pay. The Human Resources and Compensation Committee sets incentive metrics tied to adjusted net revenue, adjusted EPS and relative TSR, and uses both annual cash incentives and multi-year performance stock units to drive long-term behavior. The Board emphasizes that the vote is advisory but considers results in shaping future compensation decisions; management views strong prior support (96% approval at the 2025 say-on-pay) as validation of the program. The request for approval occurs in the context of strong 2025 financial performance, material long-term incentive design features (e.g., multi-year PSU performance periods, post-vesting holding periods, clawbacks and double-trigger CIC protections), and rigorous governance (independent HRCC, independent consultant, peer benchmarking). A FOR vote supports the Board’s view that the program appropriately balances pay competitiveness, retention and alignment with stockholder returns; a rejection would signal investor concerns and prompt the HRCC to consider changes. Because the vote is non-binding, management will not be legally required to change pay but will weigh stockholder feedback in its design and target-setting processes. The Board recommends FOR, citing the alignment of pay with performance, robust governance features, and historical strong stockholder support for the program.

  3. 3

    Ratification of the appointment of independent registered public accounting firm for 2026

    ManagementBoard: FOR

    Ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as Mastercard’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2026.

  4. 4

    Consideration of a stockholder proposal regarding shareholder right to act by written consent

    Shareholder — John CheveddenBoard: AGAINST

    Stockholder proposal requesting that the Board adopt a bylaw amendment to permit shareholders to act by written consent with a minimum number of votes equal to that required at a meeting where all holders were present and voting, without unnecessary ownership-duration or holding-method restrictions.

    More detail

    The proponent (John Chevedden) requests that Mastercard permit shareholders to act by written consent with the minimum vote threshold equivalent to that required at a meeting where all shareholders entitled to vote were present and voting, arguing that written consent lowers procedural barriers and allows more timely shareholder action between annual meetings — particularly given perceived governance and performance concerns cited by the proponent (merchant litigation settlement criticism, merchant bypassing of card networks, insider selling and macro pressure on volumes). Management’s counterargument, articulated by the Board, stresses that Mastercard already provides stockholders meaningful, structured avenues for interim action (a 15% special meeting right and market-standard proxy access), and that the meeting process provides critical transparency, uniform disclosures, and protections for minority stockholders that written consent lacks. The Board further warns that written consent could enable opportunistic or exclusionary campaigns by holders of short-term or borrowed shares, create fragmented, duplicative solicitations and administrative burdens, and circumvent the considered deliberation that occurs at fully noticed meetings. Company-specific context: Mastercard amended its bylaws in 2022 to enable a 15% special meeting threshold and maintains robust proxy access; the Board points to these features and other governance practices (annual director elections, majority voting standard, independent committees) as protections already in place. The analytical balance weighs expanded shareholder tools for accountability and faster action (proponent’s case) against the risks to transparency, inclusiveness and orderly corporate governance highlighted by management.

  5. 5

    Consideration of a stockholder proposal to adopt cumulative voting for the election of directors

    Shareholder — National Legal and Policy Center (NLPCBoard: AGAINST

    Stockholder proposal requesting that Mastercard amend its certificate of incorporation and bylaws to adopt cumulative voting for director elections, enabling shareholders to allocate votes across nominees.

    More detail

    The NLPC proposal would require Mastercard to implement cumulative voting by amending its certificate of incorporation and bylaws, allowing shareholders to allocate their votes among director nominees and thereby enabling minority holders to concentrate votes to elect preferred nominees. Proponents contend cumulative voting strengthens minority shareholder influence and can enhance accountability by enabling an investor bloc to secure representation when otherwise blocked under a straight voting regime. Management counters that Mastercard’s majority voting standard requires directors to obtain broad support, is the prevailing practice among large U.S. companies, and that cumulative voting risks disproportionate influence by small or transient holders, potentially producing directors who pursue narrow agendas. Company-specific context: Mastercard already uses annual director elections, a majority voting policy in uncontested elections, proxy access and other governance guardrails; the Board views these as more consistent with orderly, representative governance. Implementing cumulative voting could materially change election dynamics, potentially increasing the likelihood of contested or fragmented board slates and complicating consensus-driven oversight. For investors, the trade-off is between empowering minority shareholder representation and preserving board cohesion, majority-supported mandates and predictability; the Board recommends AGAINST and cites empirical prevalence of majority voting among S&P 500 companies as part of its rationale.

Director elections

Nominees on the ballot11

Independent
Tenure on this board
12.1 yrs
Also a director at
Aptiv PLC (APTV)
Independent
Tenure on this board
4.8 yrs
Also a director at
Itau Unibanco Holding SA (ITUB)
Independent
Tenure on this board
8.1 yrs
Also a director at
Dow Inc (DOW)Wells Fargo & Company (WFC)
Independent
Tenure on this board
12.1 yrs
Also a director at
Sonos Inc (SONO)Mattel Inc (MAT)
Independent
Tenure on this board
10.1 yrs
Also a director at
Coincheck Group NV (CNCK)
Not independent
Tenure on this board
5.5 yrs
Also a director at
International Business Machines Corp (IBM)
Independent
Tenure on this board
7.1 yrs
Also a director at
Warby Parker Inc (WRBY)
Independent
Tenure on this board
4.5 yrs
Also a director at
Better Home & Finance Holding Co (BETR)
Ownership

Top institutional holders10

Latest 13F quarter
1Mastercard Foundation Asset Management Corp7.4%65,234,702$32.6B
2VANGUARD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC5.9%52,337,454$26.2B
3STATE STREET CORP4.1%36,478,022$18.2B
4BlackRock, Inc.2.9%25,581,778$12.8B
5VANGUARD PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT LLC2.2%19,434,544$9.7B
6GEODE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC2.1%18,533,809$9.2B
7PRICE T ROWE ASSOCIATES INC /MD/1.9%17,153,919$8.6B
8BlackRock, Inc.1.9%17,020,714$8.5B
9FMR LLC1.8%15,739,778$7.9B
10Capital Research Global Investors1.6%13,884,582$6.9B
Filings

Recent key filings

Periodic reports
Definitive proxies
Reference

Frequently asked questions

When is the Mastercard Inc 2026 annual meeting?
Mastercard Inc (MA) holds its 2026 annual shareholder meeting on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.
What is the record date for the Mastercard Inc 2026 meeting?
The record date for the Mastercard Inc 2026 meeting is Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Shareholders of record on or before that date are eligible to vote.
Who are the director nominees for Mastercard Inc's 2026 meeting?
The board is presenting 11 director nominees at the Mastercard Inc 2026 meeting, listed with their independence status and background.
What proposals will shareholders vote on at the Mastercard Inc 2026 meeting?
Shareholders will vote on 5 proposals at the Mastercard Inc 2026 meeting, each tagged with who proposed it and the board's recommendation.
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