Ron Kalifa joins Brookfield as vice chair

Brookfield has appointed Ron Kalifa as vice chair and head of financial infrastructure investments.  

With more than two decades of experience in the global payments industry, Kalifa brings a wealth of expertise to this role. Notably, Khalifa served as the chief executive officer of Worldpay, a global payments giant, for more than a decade. In addition, he led and authored an influential independent review for the UK Government, shaping the nation’s fintech strategy and delivery model.  

Brookfield’s financial infrastructure strategy is focused on identifying opportunities in digital assets and services that form the backbone of the global financial economy. Typically, this strategy seeks out well-established companies, harnessing Brookfield’s operational expertise to drive businesses growth.  

Brookfield has shown its commitment to this strategy by investing or committing approximately $5b to financial infrastructure companies, among them Network International and Magnati. With Kalifa now on board, the intention is to expand Brookfield’s influence and presence in this sector.  

Currently, Kalifa also holds the position of chairman at Network International, a prominent Middle Eastern payment business. And he serves as a senior independent director on the Court of Directors of the Bank of England.  

Anuj Ranjan, president of Brookfield’s Private Equity Group, highlighted Kalifa’s esteemed reputation in the global financial services industry. Ranjan said: “His knowledge and expertise put him at the forefront of the rapidly evolving financial services economy. We are excited to work together as we identify opportunities in this growing investible universe.” 

Kalifa acknowledged the pivotal juncture at which the global financial system finds itself. He noted that macroeconomic trends are driving the sector through a transition that requires scale capital and deep operating expertise. 

Kalifa said: “I look forward to working with the team to leverage the benefits of the Brookfield ecosystem and build solutions to help companies navigate this changing landscape.” 

Image: Canva  

Josh Poyser Josh Poyser is an editor at FinTech Intel. He has written about fintech for several years and appeared at FinTech Connect 2023 on the 'Unlocking Success: The Art of Fintech PR' panel.