Transparency, innovation, and global impact: Why I joined Wise
From managing a 200-person crew on a Bollywood film set to leading Product teams at Wise, Surendra Chaplot, Product Lead in Singapore shares his unique journey into the world of Product Management. 🎬💡
"What ultimately drew me in was the opportunity to work on solving a problem that has never been solved before.”
Surendra Chaplot (He/Him)
Product Lead
Can you share your journey into Product?
My career began while I was still studying. Alone with a group of over-ambitious teenagers, we decided to make a Bollywood feature film. I ended up starting a production house and leading a 200-person crew. While this had nothing to do with product management, it taught me how to build something from scratch and solve countless problems along the way. The movie was an absolute disaster, but it did launch the careers of a few stars. After a series of other failed ventures—including attempts to build a magazine and a greeting card company—I figured it was time to get a 'real' job. I then luckily landed a product role at a small start up.
I spent the next five years working across India, Indonesia, and Singapore, building internet products. Eventually, I wanted to move to Europe and started exploring opportunities there. That's when I came across Wise, a company I hadn’t heard of before. As I learned more about Wise, I felt it could be the perfect fit for me. The more I went through the interviews, the more confident I became that this was the right role. What ultimately drew me in was the chance to work on solving a global problem that had never been solved before. And based on my interviews, I could tell I’d have the opportunity to collaborate with some truly incredible people.
What does a typical day look like for you as a Product Director?
As a Product Lead at Wise, no two days are ever the same. Over the past seven years, I’ve had the privilege of growing alongside the company, and while I’ve always been focused on building products that make a real impact, I haven’t always been a Product Lead. Now, I look after the Global Product Tribe, a group of teams building Wise Account – the best international account for consumers in over 50 countries to hold, spend, send, and receive money – and Wise Business – the all-in-one solution for freelancers and small and medium-sized businesses to manage payments, receivables, and their overall finances.
Each day brings new challenges, but my journey at Wise has been a rewarding one, constantly learning and collaborating with an incredibly talented team to help people manage their money across borders with ease.
The most rewarding part of my job is people. Both the people who use Wise and the people I get to work with to build these products. It’s incredibly inspiring every time I meet customers who share their deeply personal stories about how much Wise has helped them—not just in terms of the money they've saved, but also in critical moments when Wise made a real difference. These stories remind me of the real impact we’re having on people's lives, and it’s one of the reasons I’m so passionate about my work.
How would you describe the product culture at Wise?
In my view, there are two main ways a PM can have an impact:
- Deeply understanding the problem we need to solve for our customers. The best PMs do this with limited information, seamlessly combining insights gathered from talking to customers with data from various sources.
- Helping teams ship solutions quickly. Once the problem is clear, the best PMs make decisive choices, enabling teams to move forward without hesitation.
At Wise, we empower our teams so they can move fast and make the right decisions for our customers. Alongside this, product teams are also accountable for creating tangible impact. Every quarter, we publish a mission update to our customers showcasing what we have shipped for them. For me, this is the best way to measure success as a PM. The best ones ensure they have something to share in every update. This level of transparency and responsibility creates a unique and results-driven culture that truly sets Wise apart.
What’s the most exciting product or feature you’ve worked on?
The assets product, particularly the interest product, is one of the most exciting. We're tackling the lack of transparency and fairness in how traditional banks handle customer deposits. Banks profit off your money but offer little or no return. At Wise, we believe that’s unfair, so we’ve built a product that provides transparency and value.
With our asset product, customers can see exactly where their money is going, how much it’s earning, and what the Wise fee is. Every day, the earnings from deposits are added to your balance, and you can access your funds anytime. It’s a game-changer—one of the first of its kind—that challenges traditional banking and offers real fairness and transparency.
What excites you most about the product direction at Wise in the near future?
We are only just getting started. Today, we move about 5% of the world’s money. For me, it’s a super exciting challenge to figure out how we are going to get the rest of the 95%.
What advice would you give for potential applicants considering a role in Product Management at Wise?
Be transparent and authentic. It's important to clearly communicate the value you can bring to the team and reflect on what you can personally bring to help the team perform better.
Be open to introspection. Acknowledge your mistakes, reflect on what went wrong, and consider what you could have done differently. One of the biggest mistakes people make is focusing too much on how great their product ideas sound, rather than digging into the details of how the team is actually shipping and delivering value.
Tags
Roles you might be interested in
Salary
55000 - 70000 GBP Annual
Location
London
Team
Product
Locations
London
Description
About the roleThe Platform Tribe creates the technology that enables Wise to move the world's money internationally. Spanning many disciplines, we work to make the business work; creating the framewor
Reference
348a7d2b-0b89-43c7-87c3-85f64255f56c
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
-
Location
Brussels
Team
Product
Locations
Brussels
Description
The new role sits within our European Product Risk and Compliance team, which is part of the 1st Line of Defense (1LOD). This strategic addition comes in response to the rapid growth of our product of
Reference
efb5e161-995d-43f9-87e9-786fe1c81ddc
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
SGD 7,500 - 9,500 per month + RSUs
Location
Singapore
Team
Product
Locations
Singapore
Description
Salary range: SGD 7,500 - 9,500 per month + RSUs You will be the Product Manager for the Onboarding and KYC team. APAC customers are a strong contributor to the Wise's growth. A big part of this growt
Reference
8e51beb8-3b34-4a10-b044-a01c76874596
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
INR 40,00,000 - INR 50,00,000 Per Annum + RSU's
Location
Hyderabad
Team
Product
Locations
Hyderabad
Description
Salary Range - INR 40,00,000 - INR 50,00,000 Per Annum + RSU's Wise has pioneered new ways for people to transfer money across borders and currencies. Our customers can also manage their money with in
Reference
a1c5e31c-cac8-4d81-a49b-a5728dac2302
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
R$23,076 - R$32,692 / month
Location
São Paulo
Team
Product
Locations
São Paulo
Description
The LATAM & MEA team is responsible for 50+ markets across both regions. The team maintains our customer experience and infrastructure that moves billions of customer money every quarter. We’ve seen
Reference
c5e8ddab-3f7a-4210-b327-6bf034227348
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Salary Range: HKD $105,600 - $135,000 Per Month + RSUs OR SGD $13,000 - $16,700 Per Month + RSUs
Location
Hong Kong
Team
Product
Locations
Hong Kong
Description
HK Salary Range: HKD $105,600 - $132,000 Per Month + RSUsSGP Salary Range: SGD $13,000 - $16,700 Per Month + RSUsLocation: Hong Kong or Singapore We’re looking for a Product Compliance & Risk Senior M
Reference
e523d5af-6703-4292-bdc3-f0232d86ebd1
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
63000 - 87000 GBP Annual
Location
London
Team
Product
Locations
London
Description
We are seeking a passionate and experienced Business Continuity Planning Manager to support the design, development, and rigorous testing of our global business continuity plans. This critical role wi
Reference
89b639a6-d6d9-41b3-89a6-207161dd1a88
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
$165,000 - $207,500
Location
New York
Team
Product
Locations
New York
Description
We are seeking a highly experienced individual to support a rapidly expanding product in North America. The primary goal is to ensure Wise's US and Canada AML program is best-in-class, meeting regulat
Reference
4351a511-d445-4cf4-a7f1-f66dcfd5642a
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
$132,500 - $165,500
Location
Austin
Team
Product
Locations
Austin
Description
We are looking for a highly experienced individual to join our team and support the rapid expansion of our product in North America. This is an exciting, hands-on opportunity to work directly with pro
Reference
8feafb5a-9f88-4fb0-9ce4-244f1052a9e4
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
-
Location
Tallinn
Team
Product
Locations
Tallinn
Description
We’re looking for a Product Compliance and Risk Manager to play a central role in the expansion of our Assets product in Europe. With Assets, we’re changing how people think about holding money. Our c
Reference
39c132f0-63c8-4acc-89f5-caa26586560c
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Articles you might like
.jpeg)
Teaser
People profileContent Type
BlogPublish date
05/21/2025
Summary
Ilya Leyrikh, Senior Product Director at Wise, shares how he transforms customer experiences with innovative financial solutions 💰🔍 “Wise genuinely prioritises solving customer pr

by
Sapphire Birmingham
+(2).jpeg)
Teaser
People profileContent Type
BlogPublish date
03/19/2025
Summary
Matthew Way, Senior Product Compliance Manager, gives us an inside look at his role at Wise, sharing his day-to-day role, and offering valuable advice for anyone looking to interview for a pos

by
Verona Hasani

Teaser
People profileContent Type
BlogPublish date
03/04/2025
Summary
Curious about how our Product Managers found their way into the world of Product Management? 🤔Tanya, Product Manager, takes us through her unexpected journey—from a gap year to exploring fint

by
Verona Hasani
+(1).jpg)
Teaser
People profileContent Type
BlogPublish date
11/29/2024
Summary
We sat down with Asya Kuznetsova, Product Manager at Wise, to hear about her career journey as well as all things product at Wise. 🚀 “What really sets Wise apart is how close we are to our

by
Sapphire Birmingham
.png)
Teaser
Our workContent Type
BlogPublish date
08/18/2024
Summary
Introducing our first ever Product Academy At Wise, we're committed to fostering innovation and growth, not just in our products but in our people. This year, we launched a new
.jpg)
Teaser
Our workContent Type
BlogPublish date
05/04/2023
Summary
Meet Ankita D’Mello, one of our Product Senior Managers here at Wise.Ankita joined Wise in March of 2020 but started out as a customer back in 2013. While she was an international