Inside our People team with Gabriela Rubino, People Operations Specialist
Gabriela Rubino, People Operations Specialist based in São Paulo shares her move from Customer Support to People Operations 🚀
“Seven and a half years later, I’m still here and I think it’s safe to say I didn't just fit in; I found where I belonged.”
Gabriela Rubino (She/Her)
People Operations Specialist
What initially drew you to joining Wise?
What initially drew me to Wise wasn’t just the job offer; it was the product itself and what we’re building. When I applied, I was living in Sydney and I kept hearing people around me, especially the Brazilian community, talking about Wise. The idea that I could initiate a transfer via an app absolutely blew my mind at the time. If it stunned me, you can imagine the reaction from my mom and grandfather back home—they were shocked by the sheer technological leap.
A good friend then mentioned a role at Wise based in Tallinn (Estonia). I applied and moved from Sydney to Tallinn. Seven and a half years later, I’m still here and I think it’s safe to say I didn't just fit in; I found where I belonged.
Tell us about your career journey
My path at Wise is a testament to the growth opportunities we champion here. I started as a Customer Support (CS) Specialist for LatAm in our Tallinn office. As the Brazilian market expanded, I saw a gap: our teams needed training tailored to currency and regional nuances. I created a localised onboarding plan for CS LatAm new hires and found my groove in designing and facilitating impactful learning experiences for Wisers (employees).
As the programme scaled, I partnered closely with our (then three-person) People and Organisational Development team—keeping them looped in on the traction and impact of the programme. Based on that work, the team saw the need for a dedicated role to oversee LatAm; I applied, interviewed and was successful.
For personal reasons, I relocated back to Brazil, which aligned perfectly with the need to start expanding our São Paulo office. I helped build the foundations for growth and shape the early employee experience. Over the next few years, I broadened my skillset beyond my role— working closely with Employee Relations, partnering with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team to help launch local communities such as the Black Wisers Network and QueerWise, deepening my understanding of Reward, and supporting People Operations processes, while continuing to specialise in learning and development.
As São Paulo geared up for significant expansion, our operations needed to grow too. This gave me the opportunity to move into my current role as a People Operations Specialist, where I could drive higher impact behind the scenes through process design, planning and scalable systems, and help lay the foundations for growth. Moving into People Operations last year was the natural next step: it broadened my scope across the full employee lifecycle and put my operational skills to work where São Paulo needed them most.
Today, I’m focused on building the operational backbone for rapid growth—ensuring our processes are fast, sustainable and compliant, and directly supporting our leaders as we scale the São Paulo hub. Over the last year, we’ve increased the office by over 300%.
What’s something exciting that you’ve been working on?
I’m tackling hyper‑growth in a highly regulated environment. In People Operations, we’re crafting scalable global processes while ensuring compliance with local regulations in Brazil and across Latin America. Designing systems that strike that balance—where compliance actually enables faster, better growth—is one of the most rewarding parts of my job.
What’s your favourite part of your role?
Having the opportunity to help build a workforce that reflects our communities and customers. As a member of the Black Wisers Network, I bring that community perspective into our People Operations work– partnering with DEI and Talent Acquisition teams to broaden outreach in Brazil and across LatAm, strengthen hiring practices, and invest in onboarding support, mentorship and clear growth pathways. Being part of these efforts to help Wisers join, belong, and grow at Wise is incredibly meaningful—and it’s why I love what I do.
And lastly, what's the one thing that may surprise people to learn about our People team?
One surprising aspect of our People team is how we integrate our product’s core values into our internal practices. We ensure transparency, speed, convenience and fairness in how we treat our Wisers. In our rapidly growing environment, we prioritize the human element. By strategically using technology to automate processes, we free up valuable time for essential human interactions and relationships.
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