Q&A with Kate, International Tax Lead
FinanceLondon
I work in our Tax Team looking after corporate structure and entrance into new markets. This feeds into the product in terms of pricing. I also help our teams to understand what’s important to communicate to our customers from a tax perspective. What I like here is that rather than being siloed away, our Tax team works closely with lots of teams like Banking, Finance, Compliance and Product, to name a few. So I get exposure to lots of functions in the business. Oh and I pet lots of our office dogs!
Why did you join Wise?
As a customer of Wise, I was intrigued by the fast growth of the company. When researching what it’s like to work at Wise, I thought the idea of autonomous teams was brilliant. I used to work in quite a corporate, hierarchical environment, so I was looking for a job where I can set my own priorities, have more impact and be challenged.
What’s the biggest challenge working here?
Prioritising. There are so many projects that need your attention, so you need to pick your battles. You need to understand where you can have the most impact.
What’s the most interesting project you’ve worked on?
Supporting our Banking team with the application for a licence in a new market. My role was looking at tax implications in the market – structuring transaction flow, joining negotiations with our banking partner and liaising with local advisors. It was great to be trusted to represent Wise, and work on something that made Wise available to more people in the world.
Most interesting place you’ve used your Wise debit Mastercard?
Catching a cab in New York.
What’s your team’s tradition?
We always celebrate the wins together with random team events – we’ve done a VR experience, a mini-golf tournament and lots of dinners together. We also make personalised birthday cakes!
What does working with freedom and autonomy mean to you?
It means having ownership and accountability of my work. It makes you so proud of your successes, but also holds you accountable for any screw-ups.
What’s the most unusual job you’ve ever done?
Back in New Zealand, I worked for Heineken at the Rugby World Cup. I was dressed as a Heineken flag and facilitated the fans playing games in the arena. It was random, but I got to watch the games so it had its perks.
Tell us about about something extraordinary you’ve done outside of work?
When I lived in New Zealand, I decided to enter a 200km bike race to raise money for a children’s cancer charity. Each contestant had to raise 2500 dollars before the race so I organised a load of events to raise the funds. I didn’t have much practice biking long distances, but I made it to the finish line and met lots of amazing people along the way!
What’s the craziest thing you’ve done at Wise?
Attending Summer Days before I started working here. I arrived on a 6.45 am flight to Estonia where I’d never been before. There were over a thousand people at Summer Days, and I got introduced to so many people from all different teams and offices.
Coming from a corporate environment to a company summer party in the middle of Estonia, I was mind-blown. The sunset lasted for 4 hours. I was like, where am I? I got to know so many amazing people, and I’m still best work friends with lots of them.
