Q&A with Daniela, Product Marketing Manager at Wise
We’re given the freedom and autonomy to take advantage of opportunities to the maximum. Here you’re not told what you should work on. You’re able to prioritise what’s best for customers. Rather than being afraid of making mistakes, we’re encouraged to test things and learn what does or doesn’t work. It’s great that we get to determine our own plans and figure out how to drive the biggest impact.
Why did you join Wise?
I started my own company during graduate school focused on international remittances. So I had done my research on Wise, and I thought of it as a great example of a FinTech trying to improve cross-border payments. When my own company didn’t work out, Wise felt like a natural move. I joined the New York office when we were just 10 people. What attracted me was knowing that Wise was building a new standard for international payments. It was small, but growing fast, so I knew it would be an amazing place to learn. I could also support the team with my expertise of payments in Latin America.
In a nutshell, what do you do at Wise?
My team is the voice of the customer internally, and the voice of Wise to our customers. We gather insights about our customers to understand what we should prioritise in our marketing and product plans. We work closely with product teams to test and launch new currencies and features. We work closely with marketing teams on messaging, campaigns, and communications. I get to be highly involved in crafting a strategy to target new audiences and iterating on our product in new markets.
Have you done any other roles at Wise?
I joined Wise because I was an expert in remittances and money transfers in the Americas. My focus was initially on Latin America, specifically finding new audiences to use our product. During my time here, I’ve also worked on standardising research across markets and launching bold new products to new types of customers.
What’s the biggest challenge working here?
Working in a smaller, remote office. We’re a close-knit bunch in the New York office and still have a strong start-up mentality here, but there are also challenges. We lack some of the core teams in our office, like finance, for example. So often conversations about topics like product pricing or overall company strategy happen in London. That means we need to reach out and be proactive to make our voices heard.
What’s the most interesting project you’ve worked on?
Launching our US debit card last year. There were lots of ups and downs. What’s really exciting is that it’s the first product of its kind in the US. So it was an interesting challenge to figure out how we should bring our product to market. It was amazing to work with different teams – running the beta program, working on creative campaigns, figuring out the messaging, and getting everything live. And now the challenge is, how can we grow it further?
Most interesting place you’ve used your Wise card?
South Africa. Morocco. Croatia. The UK every few months. I’ve used it everywhere! It’s so rewarding to see something you work on turn into a great product that helps people all over the world.
What’s your team’s fun tradition?
In the New York office we host rooftop barbeques during summers. We go to the US Open once a year and have a big picnic in Central Park. We’re a tight group!
Tell us about a time you disagreed with your lead and why!
When we were working on the launch strategy for our US Wise debit card, we were looking for someone who would be great to represent us in this market. When we pitched Tan France to the team, there were some doubts as we didn’t have proof that it would work. However, the team and I saw Tan as the perfect fit – a British immigrant in the US from a Pakistani family who truly represents borderlessness. So we fought for the partnership by demonstrating the impact on brand awareness and perception. We made a case for it, and it ended up being an impressive launch.
Tell us about a time you went out of your way to help a customer
I constantly encourage our teams stay connected with our customers. One way we do that is by organizing focus groups and interviews. We’ve invited our business customers, card and account users, and even non-customers to our offices to share what they like and dislike about our product. As a customer-centric business, there’s nothing more valuable than sitting across from our customers and understanding their needs.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve done at Wise?
Working on a campaign to stand up for immigration in the US. We felt very passionate about the topic and pieced together research illustrating the positive impact that immigrants have across the US. Even though it’s a sensitive topic, we wanted to voice what Wise stands for and even got support from our founders.
Favourite slack group?
Our New York team channel has some pretty typical NYC banter – complaints about the subway, lots of food recommendations, and outrageous sightings in the city.
