What led you to join Wise and why do you stay?

Before joining Wise, I was really looking for an engineering-first company that was solving complex technical challenges while growing rapidly. Wise stood out as a place that actually lived those values, so I made the jump.

Fast forward to now and I’ve been here for almost two years and what keeps me here is the sense of ownership and responsibility I get. Teams are empowered and truly accountable for their domains. I love that I can get involved in everything from security and audits to talent growth and infrastructure migrations, all while staying close to the technical "engine room.”

The culture here is built on smart people who aren't afraid to challenge ideas. We're encouraged to think critically and improve things. If the data supports it and it helps our customers, we have the green light to move fast.

Describe your role as an Engineering Lead

I currently lead a team of six engineers within the Observability domain. Essentially, observability is how we understand the health of our systems. We provide the tools that allow every engineer at Wise to visualise and act on their service’s behavior in real-time.

My day-to-day is a blend of technical facilitation and people leadership. I have regular one-to-ones with my team where I adapt my style to each person’s aspirations and challenges. I see myself as a mediator, facilitating discussions and challenging the team when needed, but my ultimate goal is to give them the space to grow and make their own decisions.

What makes the platform engineering team specifically stand out?

The platform team provides the underlying infrastructure and a set of tools to empower product engineers to focus on building a better and more reliable product for our customers.

At Wise, we build our observability stack in-house rather than buying from a vendor. This reflects our mentality: we want to be as efficient and stable as possible while handling massive volumes of data and strict regulatory requirements across multiple countries. There is a real sense of a shared mission here; every technical decision is backed by what we want to achieve for our users globally.

What’s a complex technical problem or project you’ve worked on?

When I joined, we were in the middle of a massive re-architecture of the entire observability stack. We were migrating to a new Kubernetes platform, and it wasn’t a simple "lift and shift." We had to ensure the rebuilt stack remained stable and cost-efficient while serving the rest of the engineering organization without interruption. 

It took over a year of work, but we now have an incredibly stable stack that meets our growth. Seeing that return on investment—knowing we can handle increasing volume as the company grows—is something I’m incredibly proud of.

Looking back, what were the key steps or turning points in your career that shaped you as an engineer and leader?

My path to being an Engineering Lead has not been linear. I studied Computer Engineering but detoured into product and innovation for a few years. That diversity in roles made me more adaptable, which I think is the most important trait for a Lead today.

A life-changing moment for me was when I was working in Portugal and a global lead of a company mentioned a three-month placement in London. I was the only one who put my hand up to the opportunity. Those three months then turned into eight years. I’ve learned to get used to being uncomfortable and just saying "yes" to things even when it doesn’t feel natural to. Today, I lead by encouraging the same ‘hand-up’ culture. 

Early in my career, I also felt I had to be vague about my personal life at work. The turning point was finding a workplace that truly valued inclusivity. Finding that community changed my trajectory: providing a safe space. That sense of belonging was so transformative that I wanted to scale it–leading me to chair an LGBT network and build an app to tackle hate crimes at my previous company. 

Now, as a Lead, I view creating that psychological safety of my team as a core part of our culture.

What’s the biggest challenge for early-career engineers today?

Getting your foot through the door. AI has made the application process so fast that it’s harder to stand out. My advice is to prioritise networking. Go to meetups in your local area—London in particular has so many specific domains like observability. 

At Wise, we have the Women Engineering Network and various external events hosted in our offices. Step outside your comfort zone. You honestly never know where a conversation will lead. I once helped carry chairs for an event and met someone who became a mentor and helped me get my next role.

If a woman engineer is thinking about joining Wise, what advice would you give?

Do it. Wise is an incredibly inclusive environment where you’ll work with people from all over the world. Individual engineers are part of the decisions the team makes, and every voice truly matters. Bring your perspective and ideas and know that at Wise, you will be supported on that journey.

Creating an inclusive culture starts with leading by example—and that isn't reserved for people with 'Lead' in their title. Anyone can be a leader by showing up authentically and supporting those around them. This starts from the interview process: don’t be afraid to show who you are.