Vistra Website: https://www.vistra.com/

Curtis’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tcurtisholmes/

Payroll isn’t just admin anymore. It’s one of the most strategic functions in your business.

In this episode of The Payroll Podcast, Nick Day sits down with Curtis Holmes, Executive Vice President, Global Payroll at Vistra, to unpack how payroll is evolving from back-office processing into a people-first, AI-enabled, trust-driven business function.

After scaling iiPay 20x and helping power payroll across 170+ countries, Curtis shares what most organizations still get wrong about payroll, why trust matters more than technology, and how AI is transforming compliance, automation, and the future of payroll careers.

If you think payroll is just payslips and processing, this conversation will change your perspective.

This episode is sponsored by Deel

Hire, manage and pay – anyone, anywhere: https://www.deel.com/nickday/

Nick Day’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/

Find your ideal candidate with our job vacancy system: https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/691ee4537e

(00:00) Preview and Intro

(01:36) Curtis’ Background and iiPay to Vistra Journey

(03:56) From Software Leadership Into Payroll Tech

(11:31) Why Payroll Is Now a Strategic Function

(16:36) Pay Transparency and Global Compliance Challenges

(24:13) How AI Enables Automation and Zero Touch Payroll

(30:43) Vistra Scale, Enterprise Clients, and Trusted Partnerships

(34:36) Career Advice and The Future of Payroll Leadership