Women in Payroll

In this entertaining episode, Val Flight - Head of Payroll at Westpac Group - confides how her curiosity and skill for picking apart and breaking systems made her ideally suited for life as a payroll professional and shares her perspective on utilising AI. From receiving her first proper payslip in a convenience store job at 17 to becoming the driving force behind payroll at one of Australia’s Big Four banks, Val walks us through the evolution of her career and how a change of location gave her a whole new perspective, personally and professionally.

For this episode of Women in Payroll, Graham and Melanie met with Kelly Semones. Kelly didn’t start her working life wanting to become a payroll specialist; her career journey took her from Geology to HR and then she fell in love with the Payroll industry. Kelly shares her tips for a successful transformation project and her excitement about the ways technology may change the future of payroll and pay. Kelly’s passion for payroll shines throughout the episode, and she confesses that (like many of us in the industry) she is a Payroll Geek!

Melanie and Graham met with Melanie Duffus for this episode. Melanie began her working life in Insurance and was intrigued to decipher her first payslip and understand why the tax man took so much money each month. Her curiosity launched her career in payroll! In the '90s Melanie worked for a recruitment agency, processing their payrolls, and her love of payroll was cemented. Melanie is passionate about getting in front of stakeholders to directly address queries and explain how payroll work. This has helped her build important relationships throughout her career. Networking, people skills and attention to detail are Melanie's niche and she encourages everyone who works in the payroll industry to discover their own specialism.

Graham and Melanie had the pleasure of meeting Lara Smart for the latest Women in Payroll Podcast. As a Payroll Transformation Consultant, Lara comes to payroll from a slightly different perspective than our other guests. During this revealing episode, Lara provides helpful insight into what makes a good and successful Transformation project and discusses potential complexities together with the importance of engaging with all business partners. We get Lara's take on how prioritising positive reporting will change the profile of the payroll industry not only in-company but also externally. We also find out whether the last week of a transformation project gives Lara the same adrenaline rush as taking part in extreme sports!

Welcome to another inspiring episode! Melanie and Graham had the pleasure to interview Janet Grossett in this session of Women in Payroll. Janet is the Compliance at the National Payroll Institute of Canada. Like so many Payroll Leaders we have interviewed, Janet fell into payroll by happenstance after being asked by her accountant to run payroll whilst they were on vacation. And from that moment on Janet hasn't looked back, she loves working in the Payroll Industry and chose it as a career. We learn about Janet's career path and explore the story of the great influence and mentor who had a great impact on the way she charted that path. Janet discusses the effects of the pandemic and what impact it had on her team. She shares that being supportive and flexible and encouraging her team to go from good to great was key to surviving and thriving in such manic and high pressurised times.

Graham and Melanie had the inspiring opportunity to meet with Amber Visconti. Amber is a Global Payroll Director who, like so many payroll professionals, seemingly fell into the payroll industry. Having just left University, Amber applied for a position within a payroll organisation that jumped at the chance to use her multi-language skills. Amber has a love of mathematics and languages and found that her skill set fit beautifully with her new payroll position. Since then she has not looked back! Working for many well-known organisations, Amber has specialised in high volume global payrolls.

Graham and Melanie had a transformational experience meeting Anna Hammarkvist, a well known and respected member of the Swedish payroll community. Anna has had experience working in organisations in-house and also outsourced and approaches every job as though she is running a business. Anna sees an opportunity to treat payroll not as a back-office function but as a priority with every business. She applies her philosophies of love and respect to her professional life and working relationships.Anna encourages her team to be inquisitive; to investigate and learn something new every day. She values awareness of technology and industry updates alongside encouraging people to use their brains and not solely rely on technology. Anna is an advocate of being green and believes every payroll department can and should decrease its footprint on the environment. Enjoy Anna’s calming approach to work and life and don’t be surprised if the serenity of this episode remains with you through your day!

Angela Wagner Senior Director, Global Payroll, Hilton Graham Wylie and I had the pleasure of interviewing Angela Wagner for our Women in Payroll Podcast. Like many payroll professionals, Angela was raised in a military family. However, in her late twenties, she made the decision to personally serve her country within the US Coast Guard. Not only can Angela process payrolls but she can drive a fort lift truck! Angela believes her 8 years as a Coast Guard gave her a great grounding to embrace her payroll roles at Amazon and Starbucks and her prominent position at Hilton today.During this memorable podcast, Angela candidly discusses the challenges of raising a family whilst juggling an equally demanding working life. Angela's openness really makes an impression as she shares that - in common with many people in payroll over the course of their careers - she suffered from imposter syndrome. The numerous challenges Angela has overcome and the valuable lessons she has learnt on her journey in payroll and life make for a fascinating listen!

For this engaging podcast, Graham Wylie and I met with Alex Little - EMEA hub leader Global Workforce Operations at Avery Dennison - Alex has worked in the Payroll industry for over 20 years. Based in the North East of the UK, Alex started her career processing UK payrolls for Northern Rock.Alex's role has expanded from processing payrolls for the UK and grown to cover countries like France, Ireland, Scandinavia and Israel.Alex's passion for payroll punctuates the podcast as she shares her personal experiences and the steep learning curves she traversed throughout the projects she has managed. Alex credits building relationships and communicating with your colleagues as the keys to success and shares how stepping out of your comfort zone can reap the greatest rewards.

I am joined by Graham Wylie for this unforgettable podcast with Marcela Uribe, Vice President, General Counsel EME & MNC of ADP. Marcela shares with us her life as an American in Paris, from her arrival as a non-French speaker through the journey of making it her professional and personal home. Marcela had initially relocated for a few years yet is still there 14 years later!Marcela is one of the pioneers who developed and built the way we deliver Global Payroll today. She offers her incisive take on how the industry has changed and her predictions for the future. Like many Global Managers, Marcela appreciates the challenges of managing people around the globe. Sharing the wealth of her own experience, she reveals how to apply negotiation skills to the situation while remaining mindful of the people you manage.

On this podcast, Graham Wylie and Melanie Pizzey speak with Zennie Sjölund, the Sweden-based Divisional Director Payroll of Srf konsulterna, the association of Swedish Accounting and Payroll. Zennie explores with us the very first steps of her journey in payroll and the challenges she has faced. Inspiring us all with her positive attitude and get it done approach, this dynamic industry leader discusses how the Swedish Payroll Association began and the pride she feels for her own contribution; bringing together software suppliers to overcome industry challenges. Zennie shares her tips for getting noticed within the payroll industry and for finding the motivation to persevere after a knockback. We hear her perspective on the importance of working together and discover valuable tips about the way Swedes promote the payroll industry and take an age-blind approach to teaching people more about it. To discover more about Global Payroll Association: globalpayrollassociation.com To learn more about ADP: adp.com/worldwide

Share in the discussion Graham Wylie and Melanie Pizzey have as they meet with Joy Hartigan - Director, Payroll Global Process Owner at Microsoft. Joy’s career began within the payroll department of the Civil Service, find out how that experience became the first step on a path which led to her becoming the Global Process Owner of one of the most recognizable organisations on the planet. Joy talks about the ups and downs of her career journey across the years and confides her experiences and wisdom. Joy advocates a philosophy of putting yourself out there to further your career and believes a knockback should never be a reason for anyone to give up but rather an opportunity to learn and try again! To discover more about Global Payroll Association: globalpayrollassociation.com To learn more about ADP: adp.com/worldwide

For this dialogue, Graham Wylie and Melanie Pizzey are joined by award-winning Career Coach and Leadership Trainer Jenny Garrett. Jenny talks us through the ways we, as individuals, can improve our role within a company. The discussion explores gender balance, leadership and how to better support colleagues. The topical subjects of mental and financial well being also come under scrutiny. Jenny champions making men into ‘Manbassidors’ within organisations. A role intended to support women as they climb the career ladder. The podcast covered so many topics of interest that we have divided it into two episodes to ensure you don’t miss a single fascinating moment! To discover more about Global Payroll Association: globalpayrollassociation.com To learn more about ADP: adp.com/worldwide