Tell us about your journey to Wise. 

What attracted me to Wise was the opportunity to build something from the ground up while supporting a company with a clear, impactful mission. 

When I joined Wise in January 2025, I was the only internal auditor based in Singapore for the Asia-Pacific region. It was both exciting and humbling; there wasn’t an established regional team to inherit, which gave us the unique opportunity to build one from scratch. 

Today, our team has grown in the APAC Internal Audit function, and we are still expanding to keep pace with Wise’s growth. Looking back, witnessing that evolution has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey.

Although I started as the solo auditor in APAC, I was never truly alone. I had a very supportive lead, our Global Head of Internal Audit, and great colleagues across London and Europe who trusted me to build the APAC function. They generously shared their Wise experience and challenged my thinking, reminding me that while leadership comes with accountability, building something meaningful is always a team effort. 

How would you describe the role of Internal Audit at Wise?

People sometimes think Internal Audit is just about checking compliance. In reality, our role is much broader. We provide independent assurance that Wise’s governance, risk management, and controls are working effectively as the business scales. We help identify emerging risks, challenge whether our controls remain fit for purpose, and provide insights that ensure the business grows safely and sustainably. Ultimately, we are working towards the same goal: supporting Wise in delivering for our customers while maintaining the trust of shareholders and regulators. 

My role spans multiple markets, each with its own regulatory expectations, business priorities, and risk profiles. It involves working closely with local, regional, and global teams to ensure we are focusing on the areas that matter most. At the same time, we provide assurance to the Board and Audit Committee that we are expanding in a way that is sustainable.

The APAC region is incredibly diverse, with unique and complex regulatory landscapes. How has your approach to audit evolved to keep pace with Wise's rapid expansion across these borders?

One of the things I enjoy most about APAC is its diversity. Every market presents different regulations, operational challenges, and customer behaviors. That means we can’t take a "one size fits all" approach. We need to deeply understand the local context and the risks that are most relevant to each specific market. 

At the same time, we look for common themes across the region so we can share insights and strengthen controls more broadly. That’s where Internal Audit creates value by helping the company learn and improve. 

How are you redefining the Internal Audit function? Are there ways your team is leveraging data, AI, or automation to identify risks before they happen?

Technology is transforming every function, and Internal Audit is no exception. We use data analytics and automation to improve the quality and coverage of our work. For example, rather than relying solely on traditional sampling, we can analyse entire data sets to focus our attention where risks are greatest, leading to much more effective audit outcomes. 

AI is also creating exciting opportunities. While professional judgment will always remain at the heart of auditing, AI can help us work more efficiently by streamlining our workflows, identifying patterns faster, and allowing auditors to spend more time understanding root causes and providing meaningful insights.

What values do you bring to the role and your team?

For me, it comes back to the kind of culture we want to build. I value ownership and craftsmanship. Ownership means thinking beyond your individual task. It’s about taking responsibility for the outcome, understanding the bigger picture and doing what’s needed to get the right result. 

Craftsmanship is about taking pride in the quality of your work. Whether it is an audit report, preparing for stakeholder meetings or coaching a colleague, I encourage the team to care about the details because they build trust. 

Beyond that, I believe leadership is about how you make people feel. I want people to feel trusted, supported and empowered to contribute. When people feel that way, they are more willing to take ownership, tackle challenges constructively, and keep learning.

How can a new joiner proactively make a meaningful impact from day one?

Come with an open mind and a genuine willingness to learn. What I really look for are three core traits: curiosity, ownership, and craftsmanship. Don’t limit yourself to what’s written in your job description—be naturally curious, ask questions, and constantly look for ways to make things better. Take ownership from the very start by going beyond just completing a task to taking full responsibility for the overall result. And finally, bring craftsmanship to everything you do because quality matters. When you embrace change, step up, and care deeply about delivering your best work, that’s how you will grow and make a truly meaningful contribution.