The Global Payroll Management Institute’s (GPMI) 4th annual Global Payroll Management Forum last May in Long Beach, California, featured workshops, panel discussions, networking, and a dedicated vendor expo for extended networking and discussion for global payroll professionals. The forum was held in conjunction with the American Payroll Association’s (APA) 37th Annual Congress.
Global payroll professionals seem to share a heightened sense of camaraderie with each other and the vendors that create a vitally important business partnership. Maybe even more critical than on a domestic front, a successful vendor relationship relies on exceptionally good communication to facilitate a good fit.
Danita Lewis, Global Account Director with iiPay, said that the Global Pavilion in the expo brought together the people most interested in the global marketplace.
“Global payroll professionals want to know how they can get it all in one place,” Lewis said. “They are looking for ways to keep from being overwhelmed by so many vendors and things to consider.”
Solomon Williams, FCCA, MBA, is CEO Director at Stipenda and a first-time vendor at the Global Pavilion. He chose to attend so that he could engage directly with his company’s clients.
Nick Day, Managing Director of JGA Global Payroll in the United Kingdom, praised the Global Pavilion as a great place to network and tell the world about his company’s services and “to meet some very friendly faces.”
Day had the chance to interview this year’s GPMI Global Vision Award winner Kira Rubiano about the challenges in the global marketplace. Read more about the Global Vision Award in this issue.
Marc-Oliver Fiedler, Co-founder and CEO of Payzaar in Ireland, said he met a lot of new people at the pavilion and others who were already deeply involved.
David Longworth, Head of Research with Webster Buchanan Research, a first-time attendee, noted how the global space had taken off and commented on the quality of information and well-attended workshops.
The Global Payroll Management Forum featured conversation and questions on how solutions and functionalities are built to manage and report on day-to-day workflows and compliance. Topical concerns included updates on the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), questions on the impact and pace of Brexit, and paying non-resident aliens, foreign nationals, and expatriate payrolls.
Workshops devoted to global practitioners included highlights on 12 countries spanning the globe, with information on payroll laws, regulations, and a look at emerging legislation. One of the new workshops this year was “Effectively Capturing, Reporting, and Reconciling Equity Income Globally.”
The kick-off panel discussion, “The State of Global Payroll: Facts, Fears, and the Future for Your Organization,” provided a high-energy discussion that has developed into an annual favorite for global payroll practitioners. The panel was moderated between leaders in a non-competitive setting. They answered questions on emerging trends, current issues, and global compliance, all of which impact the accurate, on-time distribution of paychecks around the world. The impact of new technology and generational employee expectations for pay on-demand was included in the lively discussion.
Global Payroll in Orlando 2020
The GPMI Forum at the 38th Annual Congress will take place 5-8 May at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Register today!
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Frank J. Mendelson is an Acquisitions Editor for the Global Payroll Management Institute (GPMI). He has been working with the American Payroll Association (APA) since 2009 as an editor for PAYTECH magazine and has presented workshops at the Annual Congress on effective communication.