Q&A with Julie, Global Business Development Manager at Wise

Why did you join Wise?

I had just finished a Master’s Degree in Finance and previously worked in a payments start-up, so I was looking to get a job in a FinTech. I’ve been an expat all my life, so when I came across Wise, I could really relate to the product. Hearing about the culture and values here, I knew it was exactly what I wanted. 

I was attracted to the autonomous way of working. When you start your career, you don’t just want to be told what to do, you want to have a real impact. Wise seemed so disruptive and I loved it.

In a nutshell, what do you do at Wise?

My role is to  work with businesses around the world that want to add payment options into their product. They integrate the Wise API to bring our payment capabilities directly to their customers.  I work with these businesses to develop and deliver a payment solution that is incredibly convenient for their customers. I manage the sales cycle end-to-end. From researching business verticals, pitching our API solution, working with our Product teams on the tech integration to contracting and onboarding.

I love my job because we’re solving a real problem for global businesses and their customers. In this role, I get to influence product change that then allows more businesses to integrate our API, growing the number of businesses that Wise can serve globally.

Have you done any other roles at Wise?

I was previously in the Affiliates and Partnerships team, where we pitched Wise to companies who would promote our products to their customers. The role focused on building strong relationships and exploring synergies with various companies, but it was an indirect sell. I wanted to get closer to our customers and our business proposition. 

What did you learn changing roles?

I learnt that there are endless opportunities at Wise. You can really shape your career here. I joined for the culture and have been able to navigate what best suits my skills and career ambitions. People here are very open to telling you about what they do. When I was figuring out what the best position for me would be, I chatted with so many different people, getting to know what they do in their roles – and that’s when I met my new team!

What’s the biggest challenge working here?

You need to be very self-driven. Nobody’s telling you what you need to do. There’s so much flexibility to pick your projects, timelines and deliverables. You’re sort of your own boss here, so it can be a challenge to figure everything out on your own. Of course your colleagues are here to help and give feedback, but you need to wake up in the morning thinking you want to make a difference.

What’s the most interesting project you’ve worked on?

I work on interesting projects every day! Literally not a single day is the same at Wise – you’re constantly juggling between different projects, working with product, tech, marketing and support teams and learning from all the great people that work here. Specifically for Integrated Partnerships, we’re still a young team launching exciting partnerships – so we’re very focused on growing and optimising the product, the proposition and processes as we go.

Most interesting place you’ve used your Wise card?

In the Colombian Amazon! My whole family has the card, and we were all using it on our trip to Colombia. It was funny when we were splitting a bill, and there were four bright green cards on the table.

Do you ever disagree with your lead and if so, how do you find a common ground?

My lead has created a very honest and upfront feedback culture in our team. If we disagree we’ll openly chat about it and find a solution. Sometimes we’ll bring in other people to the chat to make sure we’re thinking about every possible outcome and not missing anything. In the end we always end up on the same page and make a plan to execute.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve done at Wise?

Escaping an abandoned textile factory in the middle of the night, at the Estonian-Russian border, during Summer Days 2018.