HR & Payroll 2.0

In this episode, Pete and Julie welcome Ed Tech expert and CEO of Integrity Advocate, Brandon Smith, to discuss career transitions and the current state and outlook for education technology. 

Brandon shares his remarkable journey from a dedicated law enforcement officer working undercover in narcotics to a C-suite leader in the educational technology sector. Brandon reveals how navigating the ethical dilemmas he encountered in law enforcement, including exposing corruption within his own department, and how those experiences fueled his passion for making a positive impact in the education sector, and led to a pivotal career change that reshaped his life.

Brandon shares his lens on the state of ed tech and highlights the pressing need for innovation in higher education.  He discusses how institutions are adapting to changing student demographics and the rise of microlearning, delving into the complexities of educational institutions and emphasizing the importance of understanding their unique cultures and the impact of new leadership on the adoption of technology. 

Plus, Brandon addresses the growing trend of students opting for alternative pathways to education, including skills-based certifications and online courses, and the role these play in shaping the future workforce.

Connect with Brandon:

Integrity Advocate: https://integrityadvocate.com/ 

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

X: https://x.com/EdTechXperts 

Book: ‘The Silent Leader’: https://a.co/d/ftlfMKH

Ed TechExperts: https://edtechxperts.org/ 

[email protected] 

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

Continuing in their Gen Z mindset series, Pete and Julie welcome Luke Powers, a recent college graduate who navigated the challenging transition from college intern to career professional in today's competitive job market.

Luke shares his journey as a middle child watching his siblings navigate their own career paths, offering a unique perspective on the pressures facing young professionals today.  His journey began with dual enrollment in high school, followed by Northeastern University's innovative co-op program, where he discovered his passion for data analytics and business intelligence.  

From securing multiple offers to facing the harsh reality of his chosen offer being rescinded, and how it ultimately led him to landing at E15 Group (part of Compass Group), where he now works on fan experience analytics for the Memphis Grizzlies. His journey illustrates the importance of agility, networking, and resilience in today's evolving workplace.

Connect with Luke:

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-powers1/

About E15 Group: https://www.e15group.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

In this episode, Pete and Julie welcome Monica Miller, SVP of Payroll and Workforce Strategy – an accomplished Payroll Executive, to the show to discuss how payroll is being redefined as a strategic driver of business outcomes at the Compass Group. 

Monica shares her unique journey from Navy intelligence officer to leading one of the world’s largest and most complex payroll operations. She reveals how Compass harmonized payroll and HR systems after decades of acquisitions, reduced payroll error rates, and built a data science team (including a chef turned data scientist) that unlocked new levels of accuracy, compliance, productivity, and business impact. 

Monica highlights how payroll data led to process improvement, cost savings and a seat at the executive table.  She highlights the critical impact of AI, from fraud detection to scheduling optimization, and how employee self-service and mobile access are transforming the workforce experience.

This episode offers a peek into the future of payroll as a strategic business partner, sharing powerful lessons from building a data-driven payroll Center of Excellence, scaling through automation, and gaining insights to position payroll at the heart of business impact! 

Connect with Monica: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-miller-53509882/

Monica’s Conversation with Pete on The Source by DailyPay: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/94-the-future-of-payroll-ai-analytics-and-agility/id1524098995?i=1000711162869 

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

In this episode, Pete and Julie welcome G-P’s Deputy General Counsel, Nicole Forbes, to the show to explore the controversial H-1B visa overhaul, its perceived "talent tariff” and what it means for business and HR professionals across sectors. 

They discuss the angst and impacts from the new executive order, the implications of the $100K filing fee, lottery reforms favoring higher wages, and ramped-up enforcement under ‘Project Firewall’. Nicole breaks down how these changes disrupt talent acquisition, especially in tech and engineering, and explores alternatives like Employer of Record (EOR) solutions for building global teams’ agility and risk avoidance. 

From legal challenges and worker anxieties to strategic advice for HR leaders navigating uncertainty, this discussion equips you with insights to rethink talent strategies and safeguard agility and innovation.  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleforbes-/

G-P: https://www.globalization-partners.com/

H1B Exec Order: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/restriction-on-entry-of-certain-nonimmigrant-workers/

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

In this episode, Pete catches up with Ciaran Strachan, President of the Institute of Payroll Management (IPM) (formerly the Australian Workforce Compliance Council) for an update on his bold vision and the progress made since his visit to the show in 2024.

Cairan provides updates on the progress and ongoing work by the IPM to designate payroll as a standalone industry, a key driver for the development of a universal Payroll Body of Knowledge (BOK) currently underway at the IPM, and the push to create formal payroll degrees and certifications with university credentialing.  

Pete and Ciaran discuss the differentiator in “payroll relations” and not employee relations governing payroll, and the need for payroll relations as a formal role. They also discuss the politics and headwinds the IPM faces in repositioning payroll in Australia, and explore payroll’s path to and case for C-suite representation. 

Plus, why is it time for a global standard for payroll education and a central global consortium to bring the payroll knowledge and education entities of the world together, and how the IMF is leading the way!

Connect with Ciaran and the IPM:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ciaran-strachan-mba/

AWCC LinkedIn (Follow for updates on the IPM): https://www.linkedin.com/company/awccltd/

LinkedIn post referenced: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7355421210815451136/ 

Episode of HR & Payroll 2.0 featuring Ciaran (2024): ‘Payroll Is Coming to the C-Suite’

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/payroll-is-coming-to-the-c-suite-with-special-guest/id1643933833?i=1000651189689

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 are back from Las Vegas after Dayforce Discover sharing insights, observations, and takeaways from the big HCM event!  Pete and Julie opine on a long list of updates from Dayforce, including the acquisition of Agentnoon to enable its new Strategic Workforce Planning solution and ‘continuous planning’ ambitions, new products and features across the platform, and those next up on the roadmap, its agentic AI progress and plans, and more!

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

Just in time for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Pete and Julie welcome cybersecurity experts, Serket-Tech Founder & CEO Dante Jackson and CTO/CISO Robert Igarashi, for a candid conversation on protecting HR and payroll operations from digital threats and bad actors!

Drawing from their unique backgrounds in federal law enforcement and financial services, Dante and Robert share why cybersecurity shouldn't just be for enterprise organizations, how to make your company a "hard target," and why employees are both your greatest vulnerability and best defense against cyber-attacks.

They talk threat detection, the challenges of BYOD policies, and why every HR leader needs a seat at the table for cybersecurity tabletop exercises. Plus, practical steps for building security-minded cultures and how to move from reactive to proactive security postures.

Connect with Dante & Robert:

Dante: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dante-jackson/ 

Robert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-igarashi-mba-cissp-0b18967/ 

About Serket Tech Security: https://serkettech.com/ 

Serket Tech FB: https://www.facebook.com/serkettech?mibextid=LQQJ4d 

Digital Twins explained: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/glossary/digital-twin/

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 Ian P. Moloney, SVP and Head of Policy and Regulatory Affairs from the American Fintech Council, to break down the latest on the high-stakes legal battle over open banking.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) ruling under Dodd-Frank 1033 has sparked lawsuits, political maneuvering, and pushback from Big Banks, raising fundamental questions about who owns consumer financial data and who pays for access to it. Ian explains what’s at stake as the rule is challenged, how fintech innovators and disruptors are responding, and why employees, consumers, and payroll professionals should care.

From JP Morgan’s recent data access fees announcement to the role of disruptors like SoFi, Affirm, and DailyPay, the discussion highlights how the outcome of this battle will shape the future of fintech partnerships, financial access, and the employee experience.

Connect with Ian & the AFC:

Ian’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianpmoloney/

AFC LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-fintech-council/

AFC: https://www.fintechcouncil.org/

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 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