Turning Payroll Complexity into Enterprise Agility with Special Guest Barb Vetula

In this episode, Pete and Julie catch up with Barbara Vetula, Director of Business Services for Payroll and HR Support at Bridgestone, for a practitioner-led conversation on what it really takes to modernize payroll, workforce management, and HR service delivery at enterprise scale. The conversation explores Bridgestone’s approach to workforce management standardization, payroll modernization, data governance, AI experimentation, union complexity, and the growing need for payroll teams to build new skills around technology, process improvement, and business partnership. Pete, Julie, and Barbara also dig into the realities of best-of-breed architecture, why “one platform for everything” is not always the right answer, and how enterprise leaders can evaluate technology based on business complexity, agility, and long-term sustainability. From piloting AI in service delivery to preparing teams for a future where bots, data, and human expertise work together, this episode offers a practical look at the next chapter of payroll and HR transformation. The conversation is a reminder that transformation is not just about systems. It is about building the right operating model, the right skills, and the right mindset to keep pace with a changing workforce.  Connect with Barb:  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvetula/  *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/