Payroll as Financial & Compliance Infrastructure with Special Guest Shala Druin

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 strategic decisions, and shift the function from reactive processing to proactive business enablement. Plus advice for moving payroll forward in your organization and stepping out of your comfort zone and influencing for impact.  Shala also shares her perspective on AI readiness and potential, the importance of experimentation and governance, and why the next era of payroll will require stronger business and strategic alignment, better cross-functional integration, and a more impactful voice for the critical function. Connect with Shala & Strategic Payroll Solutions: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shala-druin-313807189/ https://strategicpayrollsolutions.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/company/strategic-payroll-solutions/posts/?feedView=all  https://substack.com/@strategicpayrollsolutions  *The annual Payroll Profession Confidence Index (PPCI) survey is open now through September 30, 2026. Payroll professionals and stakeholders interested in participating in the research can complete the survey at: https://www.payrollinfluences.com/ppci-2026 Connect with the show: LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 X: @HRPayroll2_0  X: @PeteTiliakos  X: @JulieFer_HR BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0  WRKDefined Podcast Network: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20  Thank you to our marquee sponsors for powering the HR & Payroll 2.0 podcast forward!  G-P ‘Globalization Partners’: https://www.globalization-partners.com/ OneSource Virtual: https://hubs.ly/Q03YFNR90 Zoho: https://www.zoho.com/press.html Thank you to our ‘wizard behind the curtain’ and show producer Ryan Kielma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kielma/