JUMP TO CONTENT

Love without borders: a conversation with Silas

Posting date: 01/7/21

This year we created internal guidelines and materials to support, recognise and respect our transgender colleagues at Wise. Because whilst everyone’s transitioning journey will be different, we believe every Wiser should feel safe and confident being themselves. We caught up with Silas to discuss his role in making this happen.

How did the project come about?

My collaboration with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team at Wise came about – I think – through word of mouth. I’ve been active in our inclusion spaces and channels and had spoken about my transitioning story.

I’d noticed that there was sometimes a lack of allyship towards those transitioning at work. Where allyship existed, it was met with trepidation, even when co-workers were entirely supportive. So I was thrilled to be brought into a project to create support and guidelines.

Why was this important to you?

I felt I had to participate in writing the guidelines, given that I went through the entire process of transitioning at work on my own without any formal roadmap for how to make that happen.

My journey seemed to be a shock to many people at Wise. People weren’t aware of how to act or behave in response to my transition. While everyone was respectful, this made things more difficult for me.

Asking questions is essential, but having a guided rubric for supporting our transgender Wisers will do a lot of good for our company, in my opinion. A lot of what leads people to be cautious speaking to their trans colleagues stems from a fear of perceived intolerance. And also the worry of making someone uncomfortable or how it will look if you mess up.

The reality is, this careful tip-toeing often serves to make trans people feel like outcasts or “othered.” The best thing you can do is to treat your trans colleagues as you used to. They haven’t changed at their core. They’re just living the life they were meant to – in order to be happy!

Where can people go for support at work when transitioning?

Support is in more places than people think. Before coming out to the whole of Wise, I had told some close colleagues about my desires to transition professionally. I was met with a lot of encouragement and was truly taken care of by the People team.

I’d gone to them as a first step to protect myself and to go about things correctly. I received an outpouring of love without any push to move quickly. I took about three months to broach the topic, then three additional months to finally feel “ready” to come out.

It wouldn’t have been possible without the People team on my side as advocates. It’s not that I felt the rest of the company wouldn’t support me. I just didn’t feel comfortable being as open with everyone.

My point is that support exists both in your coworkers and those in leadership, and there is more of it than I think anyone is fully prepared for.

List #1

Articles you might like

From 7 to scaled: What I’ve learned leading Product Analytics at Wise

Teaser

People profile

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

07/22/2026

Summary

"At Wise, we expect our analysts to have just as much voice and ownership over what we build—and in what order—as the Product Managers. It is a true, cross-functional partnership."Hazal Mu

Teaser

6 years ago, Hazal Muhtar took on scaling Product Analytics at Wise. Today, her team uses data & AI to drive big strategic moves and shape our product roadmap side-by-side with PMs & Engineers. 🚀

Read more

by

Verona Hasani

by

Verona Hasani

Behind the screens: how Wise brought the FIFA World Cup™ to your wallet

Teaser

Our work

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

07/01/2026

Summary

Every four years, football gets millions of people moving across borders, navigating new cities, and dealing with unfamiliar currencies. Thanks to Visa, we’ve launched the Limited Edition Wise

Teaser

Who’s behind our limited-edition FIFA World Cup™ cards? ⚽ Our Engineering, Product and Marketing squads worked cross-functionally to build a seamless experience for fans worldwide. 🌎

Read more

by

Verona Hasani

by

Verona Hasani

Moving Upstream: How Wise is eliminating customer friction at the source

Teaser

People profile

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

06/23/2026

Summary

“The best quality check is the one that never has to happen because we've already designed the problem out of existence.”Sreevishnu Sachidananda (He/Him) Head of Quality CS & Payment Op

Teaser

Sreevishnu Sachidananda, Head of Quality Customer Support & Payment Operations, breaks down how his team leverages automation and AI to move from manual checklists to data-driven, full-coverage assessments across four global locations.

Read more

by

Verona Hasani

by

Verona Hasani

Building global blueprints at Wise Platform as a Senior Implementation Manager

Teaser

People profile

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

05/13/2026

Summary

“For me, the hallmark of a great Implementation Manager is empowering partners by translating complex technical capabilities into experiences that feel effortless.” Cindy Momodu (She/Her)

Teaser

Cindy Momodu, Senior Implementation Manager shares her journey from Microbiologist to leading seamless partner migrations 🚀

Read more

by

Verona Hasani

by

Verona Hasani

Leading Engineering through ownership

Teaser

People profile

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

05/07/2026

Summary

"What keeps me here is the sense of ownership and responsibility. Teams are empowered and truly accountable for their domains” Marta Lima (She/Her) Engineering lead

Teaser

Marta Lima, Engineering Lead based in London discusses the intricacies of observability, the power of leadership, and why building a career is often about saying "yes" to being uncomfortable.

Read more

by

Verona Hasani

by

Verona Hasani

Mental Health Spotlight: Personal Habits and Lessons from Leads

Teaser

Diversity Equity & Inclusion

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

05/01/2026

Summary

Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month at WiseWe sat down with two leaders at Wise to understand how they navigate the pressures of leadership and what advice they have for managing mental

Teaser

Professional growth doesn’t have to come at the cost of wellbeing. Two of our leaders pull back the curtain on their mental health journeys, sharing the practical habits and company support that help them stay grounded.

Read more

by

Sapphire Birmingham

by

Sapphire Birmingham

From attending a campus talk to leading in FinCrime

Teaser

People profile

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

04/15/2026

Summary

"Wise truly sees potential in people; they don’t just look at your current role, they look at what you’re capable of becoming." Islam Muhammad (He/Him) Interim FinCrime Operations Seni

Teaser

From attending a campus talk to leading in our Financial Crime Operations, Islam Muhammad’s journey at Wise has come full circle.

Read more

by

Verona Hasani

by

Verona Hasani

Beyond the map: how we launched Wise in India

Teaser

People profile

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

03/20/2026

Summary

Our team, including Suman Anand, Taneia Bhardwaj, Aditi Jalan, and Kanaka Raju Gullapudi is bridging the gap between time zones to build products that impact 16 million+ customers globally 🌎 

Teaser

Our team, including Suman Anand, Taneia Bhardwaj, Aditi Jalan, and Kanaka Raju Gullapudi is bridging the gap between time zones to build products that impact 16 million+ customers globally 🌎

Read more

by

Verona Hasani

by

Verona Hasani

Working globally, staying local: Life at Wise in Japan

Teaser

People profile

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

03/02/2026

Summary

"When you join, you’ll see your own growth mirrored by the growth of the company. You won't just be watching change happen; you’ll be a direct part of it." Ataro Shoji (He/Him) Payment

Teaser

Ataro Shoji, our Payment Operations Senior Specialist, highlights how collaborating across time zones allows us to build 'Money Without Borders' while enjoying an inclusive, mission-driven culture 🌏

Read more

by

Verona Hasani

by

Verona Hasani

Inclusion by Design: Wise Office spaces

Teaser

Diversity Equity & Inclusion

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

02/25/2026

Summary

“With a global team of over 8,000 people representing 125 nationalities, crafting spaces that genuinely work for everyone isn't a 'nice-to-have' – it's fundamental to our success.” Li

Teaser

We asked Liis Reisner, Real Estate Project Lead at Wise, what we do to ensure that our workspaces are more than just offices. They are inclusive community hubs where our global teams can thrive 🌍🏢

Read more

by

Sapphire Birmingham

by

Sapphire Birmingham

View all
Search

Browse Jobs