HR & Payroll 2.0

On this episode, Pete and Julie share their POV’s and insights from a week of attending the HR Technology Conference & Expo, Workday Rising, and Neeyamo’s N’Gage events. Fresh from the HR tech fall event trail, they unpack a long list of product announcements, key trends and observations and opine on what it means for each vendor and the marketplace. 

Vendors updates discussed in the episode include ADP, Chime, DailyPay, Flowise, G-P, HiBob, HiredScore, Insperity, Sana, SAP, Neeyamo, Paradox, SonicJobs, and Workday. 

Connect with the show:

LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0

X: @HRPayroll2_0 @PeteTiliakos @JulieFer_HR

BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0

On this episode, Pete and Julie welcome HR executive and road-warrior thought leader Julie Devlin to the show to discuss the current pulse and future of HR and payroll! 

Julie shares her unique journey in HR, which took her from an English major without direction to directing and building HR departments from scratch, while teaching graduate-level HR courses.

The conversation explores why HR still struggles with perception issues and emphasizes how small changes can lead to significant results when you begin with the end in mind. The group discusses the critical importance of strategic workforce management and how integrating payroll and time management creates compounding benefits across organizations.  

Julie reveals insights from her time on the HR conference trail, covering everything from key trends and challenges to AI sentiment, and why HR and payroll must reposition themselves as strategic centers of expertise and enablers of ROI. Plus, Julie shares her POV on how the pace of innovation and change is accelerating (and may never be this slow again), and what HR and payroll practitioners are really thinking about AI at work. 

Connect with Julie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdevhr/

X: https://x.com/JDevHR

Website: https://juliedevelin.com/

Pete’s e-book in partnership with UKG:  

https://www.ukg.com/resources/ebook/modern-manufacturing-smarter-workforce-turning-time-and-pay-competitive-advantage

Connect with the show:   

LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 

X: @HRPayroll2_0 @PeteTiliakos @JulieFer_HR

BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0

On this episode, Pete and Julie welcome Adam Peters, combat veteran turned entrepreneur and evangelist for empowering fellow veterans! 

The group discusses Adam’s inspiring journey from the U.S. Army to navigating the complexities and pitfalls of civilian life, as well as the challenges of finding identity and purpose after military service. Adam shares his passion for helping veterans struggling with the transition process and his work as an advocate for the veteran community and a champion of change. 

Adam shares his transformative experiences with ayahuasca, highlighting the profound impact the psychedelic brew has had on his mental health and personal growth, and his work to help other veterans experience the same benefits.  

Plus, Adam shares his work and passion for AI and automation, emphasizing the importance of a "fail fast,” learn and unlearn mentality, and draws parallels between military adaptability and operating in the evolving world of technology.

Connect with Adam: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thestrategicveteran/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-strategic-veteran/

Website: https://www.thestrategicveteran.com/

Podcast: https://www.thestrategicveteran.com/podcast  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChSuB5bX_E-zXvi5yJ6R5vQ

Alset Technologies:  https://alsettechnologies.com/

Connect with the show:   

LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 

X: @HRPayroll2_0 @PeteTiliakos @JulieFer_HR

BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0

On this episode, Pete and Julie welcome Heather Stevenson, Senior Product Manager at UKG, for a fun trip down memory lane with a blast from Pete’s payroll past! 

Pete and Heather reminisce on the chaos, camaraderie, transformation, and formative learnings they experienced as young colleagues leading and navigating the complexity of HR and payroll modernization for The Walt Disney Company. Together, they revisit the “Mission Impossible” digital journey at Disney, the unexpected challenges of running payroll in Hollywood, and the importance of empathy, adaptability, resiliency, and change in successful transformation.

Heather shares her journey from practitioner to product leader - from processing pay for celebrities and cast members to building next-generation HCM products that power the current and next generation of small businesses forward! Plus, insights into how AI is simplifying work, elevating the practitioner experience, and powering more connected HR, payroll and workforce management solutions that drive improved business outcomes!

Connect with Heather:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-stevenson-975ba63/

Connect with the show:   

LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 

X: @HRPayroll2_0 @PeteTiliakos @JulieFer_HR

BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0

On this episode, Pete and Julie welcome Amanda Kassler, Payroll Shared Services Manager at Otsuka, for a conversation on what it means to lead with heart and strategy in today’s payroll landscape. 

Amanda shares her journey from executive assistant to payroll executive, and how she’s driving transformation through shared services, insights, and leadership. From building a true Payroll Center of Excellence to launching a dedicated payroll onboarding experience, Amanda brings practical insights—and a few surprising stories—about elevating payroll’s role in culture, compliance, and strategic enablement. With a business outcome mindset and a passion for process improvement, Amanada shares insights for driving impactful change and elevating payroll to its rightful place as a strategic partner!

Connect with Amanda:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandakassler/

https://hrforge.com/  

Connect with the show:   

LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 

X: @HRPayroll2_0 @PeteTiliakos @JulieFer_HR

BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0

On this episode, Pete and Julie share their POV’s and insights on a rush of HR tech marketplace updates and activity making headlines to wrap up the summer months of 2025!  Pete and Julie share their thoughts on recent acquisitions, product announcements, and news from vendors across HCM, EOR, recruiting, fintech, and more.  Vendors mentioned in the episode include Dayforce, Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, DailyPay, Chime, Deel, Coupa, Flowise AI, Paradox, and SmartRecruiters.

Links to stories mentioned:

MIT Study: The GenAI Divide, State of AI in Business 2025: 

https://mlq.ai/media/quarterly_decks/v0.1_State_of_AI_in_Business_2025_Report.pdf

Story on Super Mom, Super Commuter Rachel Kaur: https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/indian-origin-racheal-kaur-flies-to-work-malaysia-supercommuting-13862272.html

Connect with the show:   

LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 

X: @HRPayroll2_0 @PeteTiliakos @JulieFer_HR

BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0

On this episode, Pete and Julie welcome Jeronika Dancy, Senior Manager of HR Technology at Amsted Industries, to explore the rise of the Workforce Management Center of Excellence (COE)!

Jeronika shares her unexpected career journey into HR from recruiting to HRIS to leading global workforce management transformation in a complex manufacturing environment. 

Jeronika shares how she blends people, process, and technology to drive measurable business outcomes, and why investing in HR technology and payroll innovation is more than a simple tech purchase, and how the transformative power resides in the people leveraging it. 

The conversation explores the complexities of frontline workforce management, curating partnerships with unions, and the role of governance, change management, and ROI storytelling in driving adoption and impact. Jeronika offers insights on strategic workforce planning, building tech-enabled HR teams, and how culture and leadership support fuel transformational outcomes!

Connect with Jaronika:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaronika-d-11075ba/

Podcast: ‘Logging in to UKG: A Chicago User Group Production’: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/logging-into-ukg-a-chicago-users-group-production/id1819101228

Connect with the show: 

LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 

X: @HRPayroll2_0 @PeteTiliakos @JulieFer_HR

BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0

E-book featuring the Amsted Industries CoE Case: ‘The Manufacturing Advantage’: Smarter Workforce: Turning Time and Pay into a Competitive Advantage: https://www.ukg.com/resources/ebook/modern-manufacturing-smarter-workforce-turning-time-and-pay-competitive-advantage?utm_source=payroll-influences&utm_medium=banner

On this episode, Pete and Julie welcome Joe Wilson, Colonel U.S. Air Force Reserve and Global CTO at Workday, to share lessons from his 30-year journey in tech and service, offering insights into the modern approach to scalable innovation, the skills-based future of talent, and why back-office operations deserve front-line focus.

Joe provides a candid look at how employers can better support veteran talent and why a “we before me” mindset matters more than ever in today’s world of work, and what a recent sabbatical, 30 years in the making, taught Joe about work and life. 

Joe shares his lens and POV’s on the state of SaaS technology, the power of platform over point solutions and the “platform mindset”, AI “DIY,” and the next decade of back-office innovation. Plus, advice for organizations falling behind on transformation, and where CTOs should focus in 2025!

Connect with Joe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joewilson/

Connect with Workday: www.Workday.com

Connect with the show:   

LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 

X: @HRPayroll2_0 @PeteTiliakos @JulieFer_HR

BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0

On this episode, Pete and Julie welcome fintech futurist, digital money visionary, and Founder of Bitwage, Johnathan Chester, to the show and go deep into the world of digital money movement! 

From his early Bitcoin obsession to building one of the first platforms enabling crypto payroll, Jonathan shares a front-line perspective on how blockchain, stablecoins, and digital assets are reshaping the global financial landscape—and what it all means for HR and payroll leaders.

The group explores cross-border payment inefficiencies, earned wage access, smart contracts, and the growing appetite among workers for crypto pay options. Jonathan breaks down stablecoins vs. CBDCs, the implications of the new GENIUS Act, and how digital rails are paving the way for real-time, programmable payroll.

Connect with Jonathan: 

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanericchester/

X: @JonChest

www.Bitwage.com

Resources: 

Genius Act: https://shorturl.at/ECkG7 

Crypto Regs Tracker: https://shorturl.at/6ceMh 

CBDC Tracker: https://shorturl.at/gL8BY 

Connect with the show:   

LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 

X: @HRPayroll2_0 @PeteTiliakos @JulieFer_HR

BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0

On this episode, Pete and Julie welcome Mercedes Sullivan, VP of People Transformation at McKinley! 

Mercedes shares her unconventional journey as a touring professional tennis player, which eventually led her to become an IT and HR transformation executive. Plus, her fun story on how experimenting with an AI boyfriend named ‘Mateo’ sparked a curiosity for AI in the future of work. 

The group explores the intersection of AI and human connection, the ethics of automation, and why treating employees like athletes could unlock performance potential across the enterprise. Mercedes also shares her paradigm-shifting mindset of moving from “projects to products”, her vision for governance in an AI-powered workplace, and why HR must lead the way in keeping humanity at the center of innovation.

Connect with Mercedes: 

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mercedessullivan/ 

Article about Mercedes, Tennis to Corporate career: https://www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/from-court-to-corporate-world-the-touring-teams-influence/

Connect with the show:   

LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 

X: @HRPayroll2_0 @PeteTiliakos @JulieFer_HR

BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0