Events

People, Payroll, and Profitability: What Every Finance Leader Needs to Know Before a Transaction, System Change, or Hyper-Growth Event

The people side of the business is often the largest expense on the P&L, yet it is frequently the last item examined before a major inflection point. Whether your organization is preparing for a merger or acquisition, replacing a core payroll or HCM platform, or scaling headcount faster than your infrastructure can absorb, hidden risks in payroll tax compliance, employee classification, benefits administration, and systems architecture can quietly erode deal value, delay integration, and trigger costly penalties. This session equips CFOs, controllers, and finance leaders with a practical framework for evaluating people and payroll readiness before the pressure hits. Attendees will learn how to identify the compliance exposures that most often surface in due diligence, what questions to ask before committing to a system change, and how to build a workforce infrastructure that scales with growth instead of against it. Participants will leave with a readiness checklist they can apply to their own organization immediately.

Learning Objectives:

Agenda

Opening and Framing

Part 1: Why People Issues Derail Financial Events
The three trigger events and what they have in common: transactions, system changes, and hyper-growth.

Part 2: The Payroll and Employment Tax Exposure Map

Part 3: System Readiness and the HCM Decision
When the system is the problem: signals that a payroll or HCM platform will not survive the next event.

Part 4: Building for Hyper-Growth   8 minutes
Scaling triggers finance should watch

Part 5: The Readiness Framework
How to run an internal self-assessment in thirty days.

Q&A and Close   5 minutes
Open discussion
Recap takeaways: know your exposure map, pressure-test your systems before you need them, and build infrastructure ahead of growth.

Speaker:

Stacy Litteral
Partner — HR Consulting, Payroll & HR Technology
BPM

Stacy leads BPM's HR Consulting, Payroll and HR Technology practice, bringing both depth and breadth of experience to BPM clients. Over her 20+ year career, she has held executive-level roles across a wide spectrum of organizations—from large corporations and private equity–backed, for-profit companies to mission-driven nonprofits—developing and driving business strategy and leading diverse teams to successful outcomes. This range gives her a rare ability to meet clients where they are, whether they're scaling rapidly under PE ownership or stewarding resources carefully in the nonprofit world.  Stacy's expertise spans every corner of HR, including payroll, systems, total rewards, employee relations, and training. Yet her true passion lies in building culture and strategic alignment—the kind that drives productivity, revenue, and lasting organizational health. She believes people are at the heart of every successful business, and that great HR strategy is ultimately about helping people thrive.  As a consulting leader, Stacy is energized by connecting clients of all sizes with important, value-driven resources. Under her leadership, the team helps clients assess current workflows and technologies, identify areas of risk or non-compliance, and implement changes grounded in industry best practices. She personally manages a portfolio of technology and payroll vendor partnerships, securing discounts and elevated service models that give BPM clients an edge they couldn't achieve on their own.  Stacy is especially passionate about guiding clients into the world of AI—helping them embrace innovation and efficiency while always honoring the people behind the work. For her, technology and humanity aren't at odds; the goal is to harness AI in ways that elevate teams, protect what makes each organization unique, and keep people at the center of every decision.  Beyond her professional work, community involvement is one of Stacy's deepest passions. She serves on the Board of Junior Achievement, championing financial literacy and career readiness for the next generation, and is actively involved in the National Charity League alongside her daughter—sharing a commitment to service, philanthropy, and giving back that spans generations.  Stacy lives in San Ramon with her husband Shaun and their two children, Mason and Emma. In her free time, she loves to travel, cook, and spend time with her family.

Event Details:

Tuesday, September 29, 2026
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Lunch will be served