What did you do before joining Wise, and what drew you to a career in legal?

I took the scenic route, to say the least! My career didn't start in a law library; it actually started in tech sales. I later found myself being drawn to the legal side of the business and understanding the products. When I started law school, I immediately put my legal brain to use, working for an e-commerce beauty company throughout school. I was hired as a legal intern and after years of proving my skills, I found myself running the entire legal department alone as a junior attorney. It gave me incredible responsibility but also made me realize how much I missed having a true team around me. I knew that moving forward, I needed a team environment where collaboration and support were just as important as the legal work itself.

When I looked at what Wise was building and their vision: Money without borders, I could see how they lived their values. Wise was making a positive, important change in the world and I wanted to be a part of that so I applied immediately. During the entire interview process with the team, I learned that this legal team is award winning because they are not focused on saying 'no'; it is about enabling the global mission. So then the decision to relocate to Austin, Texas, from Los Angeles and I feel like that really sealed the deal.

What did you learn along the way?

It's the soft skills, hands down. I had doubts about not having a traditional fintech or banking background, but I quickly realized my core competencies were far more valuable.

If you're a person who can persevere, who handles multiple tasks well, who is a quick learner and who is adaptable - these things will go so much further than solely your experience and knowledge. This job presents numerous unknowns, even to the smartest attorneys out there, so how you handle uncertainty is more important than just what you know.

You have to be a great communicator and problem-solver. My job isn't to be a gatekeeper; it’s to be an enabler. That ability to work cross-functionally and find a path forward - that’s what drives our growth.

How do you redefine the legal role to be a partner in growth?

The biggest misconception is that the legal team is the one that says "no." That we don't care about creativity or attention-grabbing products, marketing, and ads, and it's just always a “no”.

We are constantly trying to figure out the path forward. My focus is on solutions and positive collaboration. I am often thinking: "What is the business need, and how can we get there in a way that is still captivating and also compliant? We are here to help them achieve their goals, not to squash them."

We work hard to be seen as a supportive partner, not a roadblock. That means balancing the risks with the upside of creative initiatives.

Wise is known for transparency. How does that change the way you approach legal work internally?

It’s truly amazing how transparent we are, not only with our customers but internally as well. Transparency ensures people make informed decisions, which helps us drive well-informed business growth. This is a key tool that accelerates everything we do:

In a traditional company, legal can often operate in a black box, working very siloed from teams. At Wise, we take a different approach. We can achieve that through making difficult and complicated legal things digestible and easy to understand and implement. By doing so, teams can move quicker with seamless advice and that trust is why I love working here.

You're based in Austin, a growing Wise hub. How does your day-to-day work contribute to Wise’s global growth and mission?

My work is international every single day, right here from Austin. I am heavily involved in things that can relate across the entire globe— this allows me to act more as a mission accelerator for various teams about various subjects. For example: 

• Product: Giving fast, clear guidance on new product features and expansions to ensure they launch compliantly in the US market while setting up for success in other regions.

• Marketing & Partnerships: Reviewing and approving contracts and marketing materials at speed, ensuring we are compliant in our communications while still being able to attract new customers.

• Operations: Advising teams on US regulatory changes that could impact our global compliance strategy.

While often tackling novel legal questions that can arise from time to time. The key is that we don't just solve a problem for the US; we look for a solution that can be scaled. Every time Wise looks to expand a product or launch a new feature in a different market, the legal team is there to guide it through complex, regional regulations. We need to be aware of how compliance in one place, like the US, will affect our customers in another. 

What advice would you give to someone considering an in-house legal counsel role?

• Find your team. The biggest tool I have is my lead and my team. Everyone is really interested in helping you learn and succeed.

• Soft skills are key. Perseverance, adaptability, and the ability to work cross-functionally are more valuable than pure technical knowledge.

• Don't chase prestige, chase the mission. Focus on working for a company whose values you believe in, and the work will always be meaningful.

And most importantly, be adaptable and embrace changes!