Sabine Wisnioski: A Global People Change Leader
Sabine Wisnioski is a dynamic leader in global people change, with a rich background that reflects her deep understanding of organizational culture and human dynamics. Born in Hong Kong to a Hong Kong Chinese mother and a Polish American father, Sabine grew up immersed in diverse cultures. Her early years in Singapore and her undergraduate studies at the University of Washington, Seattle, were further enriched by transformative experiences abroad in Italy, Paris, and Kyoto. These international experiences shaped her ability to navigate different perspectives and strengthened her passion for understanding what drives people in the workplace.
After completing her studies in the U.S., Sabine returned to Singapore, where she worked at Google’s APAC headquarters while pursuing a Master of Science in Knowledge Management at Nanyang Technological University. Her curiosity about the link between strong organizational structures and business success led her to a career in HR, focusing on building and scaling teams across international markets.
In 2016, Sabine took a bold leap, relocating to Tokyo without prior connections in Japan. She embraced the challenge, launching her career in the tech and fintech startup space as the Head of HR at Fusion Systems. There, she played a pivotal role in expanding the company globally, tripling its workforce from 50 to 150 employees across four countries. This experience reinforced her confidence in leading organizations through rapid growth and transformation.
A Journey in HR Leadership
Sabine’s career trajectory reflects resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to driving meaningful change. Drawing from her experience in HR operations at large multinational corporations, she seamlessly transitioned into leadership roles for startups in Japan and the U.S., tailoring her approach to meet each business’s strategic goals. At AlphaPoint, a New York-based cryptocurrency and white-label payments company, she led global HR operations across multiple regions, including APAC, the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. One of her major projects involved assembling a team to relocate to El Salvador to support the launch of the country’s national digital wallet, serving four million residents. However, the demands of working overnight hours in Tokyo to align with U.S. time zones took a toll, prompting her to seek new opportunities with a more sustainable work-life balance.
Her next move led her to a leadership role at Wayfarer, a hospitality company where she initially had no prior industry experience. Seeing an opportunity to implement change management strategies, she took on dual roles as Chief People Officer and Chief of Staff. Under her leadership, the company scaled rapidly, growing from 25 to over 100 employees in eight months while expanding its hotel portfolio from three to ten properties in just six months. Sabine spearheaded critical people processes, introducing systems and workflows to drive engagement and organizational effectiveness.
Sabine’s leadership style centers on clear communication, empathy, and data-driven decision-making. She values deep listening and insight collection through surveys and questionnaires, using the data to drive engagement and innovation. She believes strong leadership requires confidence, boldness, strategic thinking, and a genuine connection with employees to foster a culture of trust and growth.
Building a Thriving Organizational Culture
Sabine defines organizational culture through three key pillars: fostering a sense of belonging, enabling personal and professional growth, and creating an environment where employees feel genuinely motivated to contribute.
She has observed that companies often fall into the trap of prioritizing superficial trends over substantive people strategies. Sabine advocates for authentic engagement, transparency, and employee development as essential drivers of retention and success. She firmly believes that investing in employees’ well-being and career progression leads to long-term organizational stability and growth.
The Dynamic Role of HR
For Sabine, HR is an ever-evolving field that demands both instinct and intellect. From day-to-day operations to long-term strategic planning, she sees HR as the backbone of a company’s success. Her passion extends to data analytics and process optimization, where she enjoys building systems that enhance efficiency and employee satisfaction.
A strong believer in People Analytics, she sees data as a storytelling tool that helps businesses make informed decisions. By leveraging insights from performance evaluations, exit interviews, and training records, HR professionals can diagnose issues and implement impactful solutions. Sabine likens HR to an “information broker” role, uniquely positioned to capture the pulse of an organization and advocate for necessary changes.
Beyond processes and data, Sabine is passionate about fostering human connections in the workplace. She has championed culture and engagement initiatives, using events and programs to cross-pollinate departments, encourage collaboration, and celebrate diversity. At AlphaPoint, she organized a spa retreat for female employees during an international company gathering in El Salvador, creating a space for discussions on business challenges and macroeconomic trends while fostering camaraderie.
The Future of HR and Business Leadership
Sabine sees HR as an essential function that goes beyond administrative tasks-it is a strategic force that shapes a company’s future. While she recognizes the benefits of AI in streamlining processes, she believes technology should complement, not replace, human intuition and decision-making. AI-driven insights can help predict workforce trends and enhance retention strategies, but the core of HR remains human connection and strategic vision.
She also emphasizes that HR professionals should develop commercial acumen to better understand business operations and drive meaningful change. By bridging the gap between human dynamics and business strategy, HR leaders can create organizations that are both competitive and people-centric.
Embracing New Challenges
Sabine remains committed to lifelong learning and exploration. She is considering further education in employment law and the emerging field of blockchain, crypto, and digital assets law to expand her expertise. While she is selective about her career opportunities, she prioritizes working with leadership teams that genuinely invest in people and foster ethical, people-first cultures.
In addition to her corporate endeavors, Sabine is passionate about social impact, particularly supporting single women and mothers in Japan who struggle financially due to a lack of government support. She envisions creating a business within the skincare industry that offers employment and upskilling opportunities, empowering women to achieve financial independence while balancing their family responsibilities.
Through her career and future aspirations, Sabine Wisnioski continues to champion the power of people-focused leadership, demonstrating that organizations thrive when they prioritize human potential and genuine connection.