Live from World at Work Total Rewards 2026 with Special Guest Joe Ranzau

In this special episode, Pete and Julie are joined by Joe Ranzau, Partner at Grant Thornton, live from the annual World at Work Total Rewards event in San Antonio, TX. Joe brings a CFO-facing lens to the discussion, unpacking why finance, HR, risk, and tax all see payroll differently and why the reporting line may matter less than the governance model around it. The conversation explores payroll’s evolving strategic value, the persistent disconnect between HR and payroll, and why payroll professionals must become stronger storytellers, translators, and change agents. Together they explore where payroll really belongs, why it remains one of the most misunderstood functions in the enterprise, and how AI is forcing leaders to rethink process, risk, and governance. The episode also dives into AI’s growing role in HR and payroll, from productivity gains and hard-to-measure ROI to procurement restrictions, shadow AI, data safety, and adoption resistance across the workforce. Plus a practical look at what it takes to modernize payroll: clearer ownership, stronger governance, better cross-functional alignment, and a willingness to treat payroll as far more than a back-office process. Connect with Joe: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-ranzau/ Connect with the show: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 X: @HRPayroll2_0 X: @PeteTiliakos X: @JulieFer_HR BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0 WRKDefined Podcast Network: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20 Thank you to our marquee sponsors for powering the HR & Payroll 2.0 podcast forward! G-P ‘Globalization Partners’: https://www.globalization-partners.com/ OneSource Virtual: https://hubs.ly/Q03YFNR90 Zoho: https://www.zoho.com/press.html Thank you to our ‘wizard behind the curtain’ and show producer Ryan Kielma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kielma/