This episode is sponsored by Deel

Hire, manage and pay – anyone, anywhere: https://www.deel.com/nickday/

Payroll runs every business.

Yet most leaders still treat it like admin.

After 51 years in the profession, Stephen Abbotts says that mindset is costing companies millions.

Stephen is Director of Payroll Services at Azets and a Lifetime Achievement Award winner. He’s seen payroll evolve from paper payslips to AI, and he’s built payroll teams into strategic, revenue-driving functions along the way.

In this conversation, he shares the lessons that shaped his career and why payroll deserves a seat at the boardroom table.

Stephen Abbotts’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-abbotts-2530232

Nick Day’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/

Find your ideal candidate with our job vacancy system: https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/691ee4537e

(00:00) Why Payroll is Undervalued

(03:42) What Payroll Really Means

(04:17) Payroll in the 1970s

(05:25) The Biggest Shift in Payroll

(08:47) Learning Payroll With Zero Training

(10:29) Public vs Private Sector

(13:32) Changing Jobs at 62 (And Taking the Risk)

(18:13) The Power of Payroll Data Most Leaders Miss

(20:01) Turning Payroll From Cost Centre Into Profit Driver

(23:52) Hiring for Data, Not Payroll

(37:55) Will AI Replace Payroll?

(40:43) Scaling a £20M Payroll Operation

(44:36) One Rule for Success

(47:14) Why Payroll Deserves a Seat at the Boardroom

Vistra Website: https://www.vistra.com/

Curtis’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tcurtisholmes/

Payroll isn’t just admin anymore. It’s one of the most strategic functions in your business.

In this episode of The Payroll Podcast, Nick Day sits down with Curtis Holmes, Executive Vice President, Global Payroll at Vistra, to unpack how payroll is evolving from back-office processing into a people-first, AI-enabled, trust-driven business function.

After scaling iiPay 20x and helping power payroll across 170+ countries, Curtis shares what most organizations still get wrong about payroll, why trust matters more than technology, and how AI is transforming compliance, automation, and the future of payroll careers.

If you think payroll is just payslips and processing, this conversation will change your perspective.

This episode is sponsored by Deel

Hire, manage and pay – anyone, anywhere: https://www.deel.com/nickday/

Nick Day’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/

Find your ideal candidate with our job vacancy system: https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/691ee4537e

(00:00) Preview and Intro

(01:36) Curtis’ Background and iiPay to Vistra Journey

(03:56) From Software Leadership Into Payroll Tech

(11:31) Why Payroll Is Now a Strategic Function

(16:36) Pay Transparency and Global Compliance Challenges

(24:13) How AI Enables Automation and Zero Touch Payroll

(30:43) Vistra Scale, Enterprise Clients, and Trusted Partnerships

(34:36) Career Advice and The Future of Payroll Leadership

This episode is sponsored by Deel

Hire, manage and pay – anyone, anywhere: https://www.deel.com/nickday/

Payroll leadership is not about control, perfection, or staying invisible. It is about trust.

In this episode of the Payroll Podcast, Wendy Uutala shares how the most successful payroll teams are built by removing fear, developing confidence, and leading people before systems. Drawing from decades of experience across domestic and global payroll, Wendy breaks down what it actually takes to create high-trust teams that perform under pressure.

The conversation explores mentorship as a leadership responsibility, why payroll professionals underestimate their expertise, and how confidence changes the way teams show up. Wendy also shares lessons from building global payroll operations, navigating compliance complexity, and leading across cultures without losing alignment.

This episode is a deep dive into what modern payroll leadership really looks like and why people-first leadership is no longer optional for payroll teams that want to scale, retain talent, and earn trust across the business.

If you work in payroll, HR, finance, or lead operational teams, this episode will change how you think about leadership inside payroll.

Wendy Uutala (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-uutala-6b97285a

Nick Day’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/

Find your ideal candidate with our job vacancy system: https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/691ee4537e

(00:00) The Mindset Behind Great Payroll Leadership

(04:21) Wendy’s Origin Story and How Payroll Chose Her

(06:55) Owning Expertise and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

(09:52) Confidence as a Turning Point in Leadership

(12:57) The Three Pillars: Trust, Communication, Collaboration

(15:41) Why Trust Is the Currency of Payroll

(17:35) From Domestic to Global Payroll Leadership

(21:19) Navigating Culture, Compliance, and Global Complexity

(25:16) Building High-Trust Teams Without Fear

(31:03) Mentorship as a Leadership Responsibility

(49:13) Scaling Impact Through Mentoring and Speaking

(01:02:42) The Legacy Payroll Leaders Should Leave Behind