Among some heavyweight tech talent based in Singapore, Valerie Wagoner has been blazing trails as an investor, advisor and business leader. As the Head of Product, Asia-Pacific (APAC) for Stripe, Wagoner is responsible for the financial infrastructure platform company’s product roadmap and business in the region, all from Singapore. Having spent 18 years across 23 countries in companies such as Twitter, eBay, Goldman Sachs and ZipDial (which she founded, grew and oversaw the exit of), she shares her perspectives on why Singapore stands out for talent globally.

Q: Could you tell us more about your role?

A: I am responsible for setting the vision and priorities as well as executing our product roadmap for the region. I am also the CEO of our entities in Singapore and Malaysia and am accountable to regulators and partners in the region.
 

Q: Could you describe Stripe and its business in Singapore?

A: Stripe is a financial infrastructure platform with world-class software powering, payments, revenue operations and business solutions. In Singapore, we have merchants using our full suite of products, ranging from newly forming startups to hyper-growth digital businesses scaling regionally to large, sophisticated enterprises like the Singapore Government.

There are two primary reasons why we run our APAC business out of Singapore:

1. Singapore is a powerful hub for regional and global businesses. So many of our merchant customers also make the strategic decision to build from this market, and we want to be close to our customers.
2. There is extremely strong talent across the board, including in technical roles. Singapore is home to our largest Product, Engineering and Data Science presence in APAC as well as one of the largest in the world. We not only have senior leaders based in Singapore, but we also have many local interns who have successfully joined Stripe after completing university.
    

Q: How has being in Singapore helped Stripe achieve its goals?

A: Firstly, APAC as a region is a very fast-growing region for Stripe, and Singapore gives us a strategic position from which to best serve our customers. Secondly, the technical talent we have hired in Singapore not only build for APAC, but are also responsible for building global roadmaps that impact the US, Europe and other Stripe markets. Stripe has enjoyed success growing our world-class team of hundreds in Singapore. The impact to which they contribute can be felt worldwide.

Q: How would you advise companies who are considering building their teams in Singapore?

A: If your talent is in Singapore, they can benefit from the diversity of incredibly welcoming professional communities here. Everyone in the market understands the idea of open collaboration, and this really shines through.

When I first moved to Singapore, I quickly became involved in three different groups, one is an extension of a Silicon Valley and India community I had been part of for years, and the other two are groups of senior women in tech including fellow entrepreneurs, tech leaders and investors. They are incredibly insightful, helpful, and fun communities and I treasure the WhatsApp conversations and monthly dinners we have. I found these groups so valuable that I also recently started one for younger women in tech who have not yet broken into senior ranks to create a sense of community and mentorship.
 

Q: What aspects of Singapore’s business ecosystem have you benefited from as a professional?

A: Singapore is so well connected (both virtually and physically) to the rest of the region that it makes running teams and growing the business not feel so distant. Additionally, the government's thoughtful, long term-oriented, and business-friendly approach creates a number of advantages that make operating in and from Singapore so relatively seamless. This enables entrepreneurs and leaders to focus on seizing their own unique opportunities and growing their businesses.
 

Q: How have you and your family experienced Singapore as a city to live in?

A: As a parent of two young children, there is nowhere else on earth I would rather raise my kids. Their grandparents in the United States are disappointed to hear that, but it is true! The educational opportunities available are world-class, and the supportive systems the government has in place to enable exceptional care in the home are a parent's dream.

Despite being such a dense city, it is also so green and well-designed that we thoroughly enjoy spending the weekend with the kids in the bike seats, riding all over the island to new parks, beaches, museums, and attractions

Most of all, we love the community feeling. For example, every Sunday morning, my two kids and I volunteer in a nearby community garden with other aunties and uncles from the neighbourhood. Beyond learning life's lessons of patience, persistence and satisfaction in the care of plants, they learn most importantly that they have people in the community they can depend on and give back to. This is such a unique and beautiful aspect of what it means to live and raise a family in Singapore.