Her Story
About Denise
Denise Carlin is an accomplished operations and people executive recognized for her leadership in the rapidly evolving Web3, cryptocurrency, and fintech sectors. As Vice President and Chief Operations and People Officer at Wormhole Foundation, she oversees the organization's day-to-day operations, including technical program management, marketing, business development, and people operations. Known for her people-first leadership philosophy, Carlin focuses on building high-performing organizations where operational excellence, transparency, empathy, and accountability work together to support sustainable growth. She is also a respected voice on the future of work, frequently sharing insights on the intersection of artificial intelligence, leadership, and organizational transformation.
Carlin began her professional career in traditional finance at American Express before transitioning into the startup ecosystem in 2018. She later joined Blockchain.com, where she played a key role during a period of extraordinary global expansion, helping the company grow from approximately 55 employees to more than 860 across 17 countries. Her expertise in scaling operations, developing talent strategies, and creating strong organizational foundations has made her a trusted leader for fast-growing technology companies. In addition to her executive responsibilities, she serves as an Advisory Network Member for ChangeEngine, sits on the Advisory Board of the University of California, Irvine Division of Continuing Education, and actively contributes to conversations shaping the future of people operations and AI-enabled workplaces.
A graduate of Lycoming College with a Bachelor of Arts in History, Carlin also earned a Master of Science in History from the University of Southern Mississippi, demonstrating an academic foundation that complements her analytical approach to leadership. Beyond her corporate achievements, she serves on the board of Coney Island USA, supporting the preservation of the area's rich cultural heritage. Throughout her career, Denise Carlin has earned a reputation as a strategic operator, thoughtful people leader, and advocate for balancing technological innovation with the human connection that remains essential to organizational success.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Denise
01What do you attribute your success to?
It came down to figuring out how to optimize how I work, and it's not really about outworking other people, but it's like doubling down on the things that I was really good at, and understanding that there were always going to be things that I wasn't as good on, and once I made the switch to doubling down to what I was really good at, and stopped focusing on the things I thought I needed to get better, it really changed. It was really what kind of sent me over the edge, success-wise.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Very early on in my career, the best piece of career advice I ever got was, don't think about the next job, think about the job after. It's really important to know what your North Star is, and it doesn't have to be a specific title, it can be the type of work you want to have. Think about if that next role you're going to take actually gives you the skills or competencies you need for the next role. People get caught up in the idea that progress has to be vertical, and sometimes all the progress you need is horizontal.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Learning how to use the latest technology is the most important thing for people who want to enter tech. There really are not going to be purely entry-level positions, and so knowing how to use the technology to help you be a better critical thinker, to be kind of filling in skill gaps you would get from experience, is the best piece of advice I could give someone right now.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
No one actually knows what the future of tech companies is going to look like. With any technological revolution, there's always a creation of new jobs. Nobody actually knows what roles we're really going to need in the future, so flexibility and being well-rounded are the most important things you need to survive in tech right now. Startups in the tech space are looking for people who can do a lot of things. We're getting out of the era of hyper-specialization. The more well-rounded you are in a subject matter, the more opportunities you'll have in a startup.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Character and integrity, but that also encompasses being radically honest and transparent, and doing the right thing even when it's hard. Accountability - understanding that you have to own your decisions and own your outcomes, the good and the bad. And then empathy - having the ability to understand what people are experiencing, not just what they're producing at work, but really getting to know the whole person, and making sure that people can show up as their authentic selves.
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