From Google to growth stage start-ups: Clarissa Wang on designing an HR career with intention

Episode summaryClarissa Wang has built her HR career across some of the world’s most recognizable organizations including Google, Salesforce and Heidrick & Struggles. Today she leads people strategy at Endowus a rapidly scaling Singapore-based wealth management platform. In this conversation, Clarissa and Renee explore what it really takes to scale cultureacross multiple markets, why “I don’t know” is one of the most powerful things a leader can say, how AI is reshaping the day-to-day work of HR, and what it means to be a solo people leader at the top of a growing organization.Key takeaways•       Culture cannot be exported from headquarters — sharedvalues and purpose are the anchor, not uniformity across sites.•       Culture is not owned by HR; when HR waves the flag alone, culture becomes a poster rather than a lived reality.•       Saying “I don’t know” is a leadership strength, not a gap — seniority does not equal certainty.•       AI can automate onboarding, surface themes from engagement data, and replace expensive compensation benchmarking tools, but HRjudgment cannot be outsourced to it.•       As administrative work disappears, HR leaders face a real identity shift toward strategy, frameworks, and judgment.•       Every career move Clarissa made was guided by one question: what can I learn here, and what can I give?•       Loneliness at the top is real for solo HR leaders — building a tribe through coaching, LinkedIn, and peer communities is adeliberate act, not an accident.Connect with Clarissa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarissawang/KeywordsHR leadership, culture scaling, APAC HR, AI in HR, solo HR leader, HR community, career design, growth mindset, people strategy, Endowus, senior female HR leaders, HR career development, Heidrick & Struggles, Google, Salesforce