Interview With A CEO: Global Payroll In a Shifting World

To understand the pressing challenges and evolving priorities in the payroll industry, we sat down with Will Jackson, CEO, to explore his perspective on the biggest threats, emerging trends, and the future of payroll in a shifting world.  

Our conversation covered everything from underestimating payroll continuity risks and the impact of global events to the growing reliance on vendors, hidden vulnerabilities, and the rising threat of cyber-enabled fraud.  

Along the way, Will Jackson shared candid insights on how organisations can strengthen their payroll operations, mitigate risks, and build models that are not just efficient but resilient by design. 

From where you sit, what is the biggest threat to payroll today that organisations are still underestimating? 

The biggest under-estimated threat is payroll continuity risk: organisations still treat payroll as an operational process, when it has become a business-critical payment system exposed to geopolitical, economic, and supply-chain shocks. 

Many teams are still fragile because they rely on a narrow set of people, systems and vendors, so one disruption can quickly become a missed or delayed pay run. 

Looking back over the last 12 months, what has genuinely changed for payroll teams as a result of global events? 

The last 12 months have made geopolitical and economic volatility feel continuous rather than episodic, with tariffs, conflict, inflation, and workforce mobility all landing directly on payroll planning. 

Payroll teams are now dealing more openly with resilience, security, and contingency design, not just compliance accuracy, because the consequences of failure are more visible to employees and leadership. 

Are payroll leaders becoming more strategic, or are they simply being asked to manage more risk with the same resources? 

In practice, payroll leaders are being asked to do both: be more strategic while absorbing more risk with the same or even tighter resources. 

The strategic agenda is real, but many teams are still under-resourced and fragmented, so the extra expectations often outpace their operating model. 

Where do you see organisations carrying the greatest hidden payroll risk today? 

The greatest hidden risk is fragmented ownership: inconsistent processes, local workarounds and weak governance across countries often create exposure that is invisible until something breaks. 

Shadow payroll, inconsistent data flows, and vendor handoffs can quietly accumulate risk long before they trigger a visible issue. 

If you were asked to audit a global payroll operation tomorrow, what would be the first area you would investigate? 

I would first investigate the end-to-end control environment: who owns inputs, approvals, exceptions, cut-offs and reconciliation across HR, finance, payroll and vendors. 

That quickly shows whether the operation is designed for control and resilience or simply surviving on experience and heroics. 

Have organisations become too reliant on technology vendors to manage risk on their behalf? 

Yes, in many cases organisations have become too reliant on vendors to manage risk for them, instead of retaining clear internal accountability and oversight. 

A good vendor is an important control, but it is not a substitute for strong governance, challenge, testing and internal ownership. 

Which is the bigger risk today: compliance failure, cyber-attack, or payment failure? 

The biggest risk is usually compliance failure with payment consequences, because payroll mistakes can trigger penalties, employee harm, trust loss, and operational disruption at the same time. 

Cyber-attack and payment failure are also serious, but they often become most damaging when they cause payroll to miss or corrupt the payment cycle. 

Are companies truly designing global payroll operating models for resilience, or are many still operating on historical decisions and workarounds? 

Many organisations are still operating on historical decisions and workarounds, even though the world now demands more resilience by design. 

True resilience means standardised processes, clear contingency options, and tested recovery plans, not just a patchwork of local fixes. 

If an organisation was starting from scratch today, what would they build differently? 

I would build a globally standardised operating model from day one, with clear policy, common controls, and a single view of data, exceptions, and risk. 

I would also design for continuity and security first, then automate, rather than automating a fragmented model and hoping technology fixes the fundamentals. 

What is the most common cybersecurity weakness you see within payroll operations? 

The most common weakness is the human layer: poor access discipline, weak identity controls, and susceptibility to phishing or social engineering. 

Payroll is especially exposed because attackers know it sits close to money, identity data, and urgent payment cycles. 

If a payroll team suffers a cyber incident the week before payday, what should their first three priorities be? 

First Priority: confirm whether payroll data, approvals or bank details have been altered, and freeze any suspicious changes immediately. 

Second Priority: activate the contingency payment plan and align payroll, finance, treasury, and IT on what can still be paid safely and on time. 

Third Priority: communicate early and clearly with leadership and affected employees, because silence destroys trust faster than the incident itself. 

How concerned should payroll leaders be about AI-enabled fraud and increasingly sophisticated social engineering attacks? 

Payroll leaders should be highly concerned, because AI makes phishing, impersonation, and social engineering far more convincing and scalable.  

The defence is not panic; it is tighter verification, stronger approval controls, training, and a culture where unusual payment requests are challenged every time.  

Conclusion 

The insights from Will Jackson underscore a clear reality: global payroll is at a crossroads. Organisations that continue to treat it as a back-office function risk exposure to continuity failures, compliance breaches, and cyber threats.  

The path forward requires standardisation, resilience by design, and a proactive approach to risk management, not just reliance on technology or historical practices. For payroll leaders, the message is equally urgent: strategic alignment, robust governance, and a culture of accountability are no longer optional.  

In a world where payroll touches every aspect of business and employee trust, getting it right is not just about paying people on time, it is about safeguarding the very foundation of how organisations operate. 

Why You Should Contact Us   

 The Leppington Group Limited (TLG) is a UK headquartered company specialising in payroll advisory, audit, and consulting services.   

Originally founded in 2011, TLG has established itself as a reputable, independent, and trusted partner for organisations seeking expert guidance for any aspect of payroll requirements.   

TLG's core services include payroll audit & health checks, issue navigation, procurement, vendor selection, implementation guidance, project mediation, payroll administration, and cyber & privacy services.   

TLG's commitment to excellence, and a customer-centric approach, has elevated the organisation as a valuable resource for businesses seeking to optimise their payroll processes without the ‘Big Four’ price tag.   

TLG exists to make payroll simpler, businesses better and results clearer.