Looking Back: 25 Years of Growth

Activpayroll has grown from a 40 person team in 2001 to a global organisation with over 400 employees today. What would you say were the defining moments that shaped the company’s journey over the past 25 years?

When you look back, the defining theme has really been how we’ve built and scaled the business internationally.
For a long time now, the focus has been on supporting clients across multiple countries, and that’s shaped how we operate day to day. Delivering global payroll is about being able to navigate very different regulatory and cultural environments consistently and reliably.
A key part of that has been building strong in-country expertise. That comes through a combination of our own teams and carefully selected partners, giving us both local knowledge and global coordination.

Over time, we’ve continued to strengthen that, both by expanding our own presence in key regions and by adding specialist capability through acquisitions.

So when you step back, it’s really that combination of global scale and local expertise that has defined the business and continues to underpin how we grow.

Innovation and Technology

activpayroll launched its activ8 platform in 2006 and has continued to invest in tech-driven solutions. How central has technology been to the company’s expansion and service evolution?

Technology has always played an important role, but we’ve never seen it as the main driver of the business.

For us, it’s always been an enabler, something that supports the service rather than replaces it.

The real value sits with our people, their experience, their judgement, and the relationships they build with clients. That’s how we’ve consistently delivered high-quality outcomes over time.

Technology allows us to do that more efficiently and at greater scale, reducing manual effort, improving consistency, and giving both our teams and our clients better visibility.

That’s been our approach for a long time. We invest in technology where it strengthens the service, but it’s always in support of the people behind it.

And looking ahead, that becomes even more relevant.

AI has the potential to take some of the repetitive, lower-value activity out of the process. But rather than changing what we do, it improves how we do it, giving our teams more time to focus on the areas where they already add the most value.

So the role of technology will continue to grow, but the principle stays the same, it’s there to enhance the service, not define it.

Integration with systems like Workday, UKG, HiBob and Sage is a major differentiator.

How do you view the role of connected HR and payroll ecosystems in the next decade?

I see this now as a fundamental for any global payroll player.

Clients want their systems to work together without friction, HR, payroll, time, payments, all connected in a way that reduces duplication and risk.

Our approach has always been to partner with the best at what they do and stay focused on what we do best.

We’ve never tried to be a single system that does everything. In reality, that tends to lead to compromise. Instead, we work with leading platforms like Workday, UKG, HiBob and others, and focus on integrating well with them so clients get the best of each.

That model has worked well for us over time, and it’s becoming even more relevant now. The market is moving towards more connected ecosystems, not all-in-one solutions.

So for us, it’s about being a strong, reliable part of that ecosystem and making sure everything fits together in a way that works for the client.

Vision, Values and Organisational Culture

You recently refreshed the company’s vision and values around Partnership, Excellence, Accountability, Expertise and Commitment. Why was now the right time to redefine these principles, and how do they guide your future strategy?

The refresh of our values was really about recognising what was already there.

When you look across the business, those qualities — partnership, accountability, expertise — I see them every day in how our people work with each other and with clients. It’s been part of the culture for a long time.

As we’ve grown, it’s become as important to be clear about that. Not to change it, but to make sure we remain consistent as we bring more people into the business and continue to expand.

So it was less about redefining, and more about putting values around what already makes the business work, and making sure we don’t lose sight of that as we scale.

The Client Perspective

With a client base spanning FTSE 500 organisations and multinational brands, how has the nature of client expectations changed over 25 years?

At a fundamental level, what clients want hasn’t really changed.

They’re looking for a long-term partner they can trust, someone they can rely on to deliver one of the most important services in their business, for their most important asset, their people.

That expectation has always been there, and if anything, it’s become even more important as businesses have become more complex and more global.

What has changed is everything around that.

Clients expect more visibility, quicker responses, and systems that fit into the wider way they operate. They want things to feel connected and straightforward, even when the underlying complexity is anything but.

So while the core expectations of trust, reliability, partnership have stayed the same, the way you deliver against that has moved on quite significantly.

The Global Payroll & Mobility Market Today

How do you view the increasing trend of global expansion for mid sized companies, and what pressures does that put on payroll solutions?

What’s really changed is the pace. Companies are moving into new markets much faster than they used to, and they’re more willing to try things, learn quickly, and adjust as they go. That creates opportunity, but it also brings a different kind of pressure.

Payroll doesn’t really allow for trial and error. Every country has its own rules, and there are always things that can catch you out if you’ve not been there before.

I think that is where experience really matters. Clients are looking for a trusted pair of hands, someone who’s been through it before and can help them move quickly, but without running into the issues that tend to surface later.

And a big part of that is having strong in-country expertise. You can’t manage global payroll effectively without understanding the local detail, the regulations, the nuances, the practical realities on the ground.

So it’s really about combining that local knowledge with a consistent global approach, and making the whole process feel as smooth as possible for the client.

Leadership, Strategy & The Next 25 Years

As CEO, what has influenced your leadership approach during this period of growth and global transformation?

In a business like this, operating across multiple countries and clients, you’re constantly making decisions in areas where there isn’t always a clear answer. So you have to be comfortable with that.

What matters is having the right people around you, people who take ownership, use their judgement, and are prepared to make decisions.

We’ve always tried to create an environment where people can take that responsibility, and where it’s okay for things not to go perfectly every time, as long as you learn from it and move forward quickly.

At the same time, there’s a clear expectation around standards. You’re dealing with something critical for clients, so accountability and consistency matter just as much as flexibility.

There’s also an expectation to be ambitious. Not in a way that’s disconnected from reality, but in how we think about improving, moving forward, and building on what we’ve already achieved.

Over time, that balance becomes clearer, giving people the space to operate, being clear on what good looks like, and setting the expectation that we continue to raise the bar.

And ultimately, the biggest lesson is that the business is only ever as strong as the people in it. Getting that right makes everything else easier.
Looking ahead, what areas will activpayroll be prioritising to support its “next phase” of growth?

Looking ahead, the focus is on how we build on what we have today and scale it in a deliberate way.

A big part of that is continuing to strengthen our partner ecosystem. The market is moving towards more connected solutions, and working closely with the right partners gives us the ability to access more opportunities and deliver more complete outcomes for clients.

Technology will continue to play a key role, particularly where it improves efficiency, consistency, and the overall client experience. The focus isn’t on technology for its own sake, but on where it makes a tangible difference.

Alongside that, we’ll keep investing in our in-country capability, making sure we have the depth of expertise needed to support clients as they grow and expand into new markets.

But the most important thing is how we scale without losing what’s made the business successful, and why customers continue to join us and trust us year after year.

Maintaining the quality of service, the strength of relationships, and the trust clients place in us is critical. That’s the standard we’ve built over time, and it has to carry through into the next phase.

Celebrating the Milestone

What does reaching 25 years mean to you and to the wider team?

Reaching 25 years means a lot, particularly when you take a step back and think about the people who’ve been part of that journey.

There are individuals in the business today who have been here for a long time, and what we’ve built is really down to their graft, their dedication, and the way they’ve stuck with it through everything that comes with growing a business.

It hasn’t all been straightforward. There have been challenging periods along the way, as well as some great highs and it’s that mix that really shapes a business over time.

There’s also a real sense of pride in what the business has become, a Scottish-headquartered company supporting well-known organisations across the world. That’s something that doesn’t always get said, but it matters.

So more than anything, this milestone is a chance to recognise that effort and say a genuine thank you to everyone who’s contributed, both past and present.

How will activpayroll be marking this milestone with employees, clients or communities globally?

We’re keeping it simple and focused on our people, partners and clients.

There’ll be opportunities for teams to come together and mark it in their own way, across different locations, and take a bit of time to reflect on what’s been achieved as well as an opportunity to spend time with clients where they have built genuine friendships with some customers still with us from the very beginning.

Just as importantly, it’s a chance to recognise those clients and partners. Without their trust and belief in what we do, we wouldn’t be here. A lot of those relationships go back many years, and they’ve played a huge part in the journey.

Final Reflection

If you could send one message to the founders, early employees and customers who supported the company’s first chapter, what would it be?

A genuine thank you. They set the tone for how a lot of our business operates today.

Those early years take a huge amount of belief and resilience, from the founders, the early team, and the customers who chose to work with the business when it was far from what it is today.

Taking that step, whether it’s joining a small company or trusting it with something as critical as payroll, isn’t a given. It requires confidence in the people and what they’re trying to build.

What we have today is built on that belief, and it’s something that hasn’t been forgotten.

And what message would you share with the next generation of activpayroll talent who will shape the future?

The opportunity in front of us is unbelievably exciting.

We’ve built a strong foundation over the last 25 years, but in many ways it still feels like we’re only part way through the journey. The market is evolving, the level of demand is growing, and there’s a real chance to take what we have today and build something even more impactful.

For the next generation coming through, that’s what I’d focus on. There’s the opportunity to shape the next phase of the business, and for it to be just as exciting and as dynamic as the early days of this business.

At the same time, it’s about holding onto what’s made it successful so far in the quality of the work, the strength of the relationships, and the way people support each other.

Above all, making sure you enjoy being part of it. It’s a phenomenal business to be in, and there’s a lot still to come.

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