Joseph Khanachat is a payments and banking executive with more than ro years of international leadership spanning card scheme operations, digital payment technologies, and payment service provider (PSP) build-out.

He is the Chief Operating Officer of International Smart Card Company – Qi Group, a role he has held since September r-ro, where he directs the strategic deployment, operations, and market expansion of the Qi Domestic Payment Scheme across Iraq, advancing financial inclusion and secure electronic payment adoption. He also serves as CEO of Qi Plus Payment Services LLC, a newly established PSP in the UAE, which he is building end to end: from regulatory engagement with the Central Bank of the UAE and governance, through technology implementation and scheme certification, to market launch.

Previously, as Head of Payment Operations and Partnerships for the Middle East and North Africa at Amazon Payment Services (r-ro-r-fi), he led operations supporting thousands of merchants, millions of customers, and billions of transactions, and built a multi-country team of Technical Account Managers across the region.

Joseph’s earlier career spanned more than ro years at Mastercard, culminating as Vice President, Technology & Operations for MENA. He drove the regional rollout of e-commerce, tokenization, digital wallets, QR code, remittance, and real-time payment solutions across r.+ markets, including the global first launch of the Mastercard Egypt mobile wallet, which was subsequently adopted as a template for other markets.

He holds a US patent for the first cardless cash-in/cash-out solution. His credentials include a Technical Sciences degree in Electronics from Institut Byblos, a certificate from the American Bankers Association’s School of Bankcard Management at the University of Oklahoma, and PRINCEr certification.