Global payroll manager says you “have to make exceptions”

Dunham will be speaking at the conference, taking place on December 5th at the Hilton London Bankside. If you haven’t yet booked, take advantage of our Black Friday discount of 40 percent off passes. Quote "AutumnUpdate40" at checkout here.

Reward Strategy (RS): What has been the story of your career so far?

Olivia Dunham (OD): “I fell into payroll in 2000 and have since worked in both the bureau and internal processing environments with various companies. I become a manager in 2007 after qualifying with a CIPP diploma and moved into global payrolls in 2015.”

RS: What do you think has been the most visible change to the payroll and HR profession in the last year?

OD: “The most visible change has been the capabilities of technology. We have had to keep up with the demand of statutory legislation, our customers and our teams, so we have had to make quick changes to the way we work with technology to meet these demands.”

RS: What do you think are currently and will be the biggest trials facing global payroll professionals?
OD: “This will depend on who your provider is and the type of services they offer. It can range from keeping knowledge up to date for each country to providing standardised reporting in English and making payments to employees and third parties.

“However, a big issue is language, culture and meeting demands within different time zones. Creating a global framework may seem easy, but the reality is different for each country as they have their own boundaries.”

RS: What is going to be the biggest area of investment for your payroll function in the next 12 months?

OD: “The next 12 months will see us move to a global software provider and create internal systems that can make payments more efficient.”

RS: Without giving too much away, what will delegates learn from your session?

OD: “The realisation that you will have to make exceptions.”

RS: What other sessions are you looking forward to at this year’s Autumn Update?

OD: “I’m particularly interested in the talk regarding the on-demand economy, the future of pensions as well as networking.”

The Rewards, sponsored by Cintra HR & Payroll Services, FMP Global, Western Union and The Payroll Centre, take place the evening of the Autumn Update.

This is the best year yet for The Rewards, with the most entries ever received. Book now, if you haven’t already.

There are limited tickets left for the conference. Save 40 percent on conference passes by taking advantage of our Black Friday discount. Quote "AutumnUpdate40" at checkout here. Alternatively, you can reach out to Jamie Thomas, from our delegates team, by calling 020 7940 4832 or email.

If you are interested in speaking opportunities or sponsorship, please speak to Ben Miller, commercial director, by calling 020 7940 4803 or email. Or, take a look at the media pack here.