Founder Profile
Karl Hinke
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Karl Hinke?
Karl Hinke is a founder of Mastercard Incorporated, which was founded in 1966.
- Company founded
- Mastercard Incorporated
- Founded
- 1966
Background
Hinke came from commercial banking rather than technology. Public records on his career are limited, and Mastercard's history credits a coalition of member banks rather than a single founder.
Founding Story
Karl Hinke was an executive at Marine Midland Bank in New York who helped organize the Interbank Card Association in 1966. The association linked regional banks so their cards could be accepted across one another's merchants, giving them a shared alternative to Bank of America's BankAmericard program. ICA adopted the Master Charge brand in 1969 and later became MasterCard.
Sources
This profile does not yet cite a source specific to Karl Hinke. The sources below document the company company rather than the person, so check them against the claims above.
- Mastercard FY2025 Form 10-K (Mastercard Incorporated)
- Mastercard annual reports (Mastercard Incorporated)