HR & Payroll 2.0

On this episode, Pete and Julie welcome longtime friend and industry executive Michael Custers, Chief Strategy Officer at SD Worx, for an insider’s perspective on the European HR and payroll landscape. Michael shares how local complexity, shifting compliance demands, data sovereignty, and AI are reshaping employer priorities and the way organizations buy technology and services. The conversation e...

In this episode, Pete and Julie welcome James Gozney, Founder and CEO of Aslan, for a conversation on how fintech is disrupting employee reward and recognition.  James shares why traditional reward and recognition programs often struggle to reach employees and how connecting rewards to the ways people already spend and manage money can make them more immediate, personal, and useful. The conve...

In this episode, Pete welcomes Usman ‘Oz’ Khan, Senior Vice President of ADP Ventures, for a look inside the corporate venture engine helping shape what comes next in HR, payroll, and workforce technology. Oz pulls back the curtain on ADP Ventures’ operator-led approach to corporate venture capital. He shares how the team builds businesses, develops strategic partnerships, bets on specific enterpr...

On this episode of HR & Payroll 2.0, Pete sits down with Erica McMannes, Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer at Instant Teams, to explore the realities of military spouse employment and why the challenge extends far beyond unemployment. Together, they discuss career portability, underemployment, skills-based hiring, remote work, and the hidden obstacles that prevent employers from accessing th...

On this episode, Pete and Julie welcome show alumni, Bryan Bergin and Jared Levine, equity research analysts with TD Cowen, for an annual check-in and Wall Street view into where HR tech and fintech are heading. This conversation goes beyond market performance for a timely look at how the lines between work, money, payroll, payments, benefits, compliance, and employee experience continue to blur....

In this episode, Pete and Julie reconnect with longtime friend and former colleague Mark Bradley, Partner/Principal with EY People Consulting and a global HR transformation leader, for a practical look at what it will take to reinvent HR for the AI-powered future.  Following his completion of the U.C. Berkeley Transformative CHRO Leadership Program, Mark shares three lessons that reshaped his...

Pete and Julie welcome Dan Thompson, Chief Benefits Officer at Vensure Employer Solutions and longtime advocate for direct primary care (DPC), for a candid conversation on why the way Americans access and pay for healthcare is overdue for reinvention. Dan traces how fee-for-service medicine, rising deductibles, fragmented benefit design, and misaligned incentives across insurers, pharmacy benefit...

On this episode, Pete and Julie sit down with Dr. Michael Bianco, founder of Bianco Primary Care, to explore one of the fastest-growing trends in employer healthcare: Direct Primary Care. As healthcare costs continue to climb and employees struggle to access timely, personalized care, a new model is emerging that promises longer appointments, stronger physician relationships, and a more proactive...

On this episode of HR & Payroll 2.0, Pete and Julie welcome Tom Sterling, VP of Enterprise People Solutions Operations at Cox Automotive, for a wide-ranging conversation on workforce transformation, AI, and the future of HR operations.  Tom shares lessons learned from leading a multi-year workforce management and scheduling transformation impacting nearly 18,000 frontline employees, unpacking...

In this episode, Pete and Julie welcome payroll expert and fractional payroll director, Shala Druin, Founder of Strategic Payroll Solutions, for a candid conversation on why payroll remains one of the most misunderstood and consequential functions in any business. The conversation explores how payroll leaders can better quantify risk, build stronger business cases, secure earlier involvement in st...

In this episode, Pete and Julie welcome Andrew ‘AG’ Gadomski, Managing Director at Aspen Analytics and host of ‘Reciprocity with AG’, for a candid conversation on AI governance, cybersecurity, compliance, and the future of work. Andrew shares why HR is becoming an increasingly important attack surface, how fake applicants and social engineering are changing recruiting risk, and why HR leaders need...

In this episode, Pete and Julie welcome Meredith Reilly, Chief Sales Officer at isolved, for a candid conversation on what is really happening in the HCM and payroll buying market. The conversation explores why HR tech is often “sold” more than it is bought, why decision cycles are getting longer, and how buyers are navigating fatigue from overpromised technology, inconsistent service, and increas...

In this episode, Pete and Julie catch up with Barbara Vetula, Director of Business Services for Payroll and HR Support at Bridgestone, for a practitioner-led conversation on what it really takes to modernize payroll, workforce management, and HR service delivery at enterprise scale. The conversation explores Bridgestone’s approach to workforce management standardization, payroll modernization, dat...

In this episode, Pete welcomes Virender “VA” Aggarwal, former CEO of Ramco and longtime HR tech executive, to explore how AI is reshaping the future of enterprise software, work, and workforce experience. From conversational UI and “zero UI” experiences to AI-native platforms, orchestration across systems, outcome-based pricing, and the rise of headless software, VA shares a candid view of where H...

In this episode, Pete welcomes Eynat Guez, CEO of Papaya Global, for a forward-looking conversation on the future of work, payroll, and workforce infrastructure. Eynat shares why AI is not just another layer of automation, but a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild how organizations manage, pay, and support their global workforces. From the rise of autonomous payroll and workforce data orch...

In this episode, Pete and Julie welcome Karen Kaplan, CHRO at People Incorporated, for a real-world look at what it takes to lead HR transformation inside a complex, mission-driven healthcare nonprofit. Karen shares her journey from operations and administration into HR leadership, and why the mission of supporting mental health care professionals has kept her in the field for more than two decade...

In this episode, Pete welcomes Anand Pandya, VP and GM of Specialty Solutions for SMBs at ADP, for a timely conversation on the rise of embedded technology and why payroll is becoming mission-critical infrastructure inside modern SaaS platforms. Anand shares why small businesses are increasingly overwhelmed by fragmented back-office software, often juggling multiple systems for payments, accountin...

In this episode, Pete and Julie welcome “The Payroll Nerd”, Troy Markussen, global payroll leader, founder of Nerd Outfitters, and champion of the Payroll 2040 movement, for a timely conversation on the future of payroll talent. Troy shares how he “chose payroll” early in his career, why the profession offers one of the most dynamic and resilient career paths in business, and what his research wit...

On this episode, Pete and Julie welcome Katharine ‘Kat’ Smith, an Australian payroll leader and one of the emerging voices behind the idea of ‘payroll diplomacy’, for a thoughtful conversation on advocacy, literacy, risk, and the evolving role of payroll in the enterprise. The conversation explores ‘payroll diplomacy’: the skill of translating payroll’s operational complexity into language that ex...

On this episode, Pete and Julie share their POV’s and insights on a long list of HR and payroll tech marketplace news and updates rounding out Q2, 2026.  Vendors discussed in the episode include: ADP, Argano, CloudPay, datascaleHR, Deel, isolved, G-P, HiBob, Multiplier, Nuvei and Payoneer, OnePay, Paylocity, Payslip, Remote, Strada Global, and Workday. Mentioned in the episode:  CloudPay Payroll E...

On this episode, Pete and Julie share their POV’s and insights on the spring updates for analysts from across the HCM tech vendor landscape ahead of summer.  Vendor events and news discussed in the episode include: PrismHR: PrismHRLIVE, SAP SuccessFactors: HCM Experts Workshop, Cornerstone Connect, and UKG Virtual Analyst Day.  Connect with the show: LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payro...

In this special episode, Julie is joined by Kristy Durst, Sr. Manager of Payroll & HR Administration at Uline, live from the annual World at Work Total Rewards event in San Antonio, TX, for a practitioner conversation grounded in what modern payroll leadership really looks like inside a complex, frontline-heavy business. The conversation explores Uline’s move from ADP to the full Workday suite, wh...

In this special episode, Pete and Julie are joined by Amy Dufrane Ed. D, CEO of the HRCI (HR Certification Institute), live from the annual World at Work Total Rewards event in San Antonio, TX!  Amy shares how HRCI is evolving beyond certification to become a broader career partner for HR professionals, including its global work around HR standards, its collaboration with WorldatWork, and its role...

In this special episode, Pete and Julie are joined by Chelsea Hamilton and Sam Thomeier, live from the annual World at Work Total Rewards event in San Antonio, TX!  Chelsea and Sam unpack why pay transparency remains one of the biggest issues facing total rewards leaders, and why the shift is being driven by more than legislation. From generational expectations and candidate behavior to the long-s...

In this special episode, Pete and Julie are joined by Sarah Severson, Sr. Manager of Compensation at Medline, live from the annual World at Work Total Rewards event in San Antonio, TX, for a practical conversation on how compensation is evolving inside fast-growing, complex organizations. The conversation explores what happens when family-owned and high-growth companies scale faster than their com...