Strategic Payroll Solutions
Strategic Payroll Solutions

Payroll Strategy, Compliance, and Risk Management for High-Growth Organizations.

Fractional payroll leadership, compliance expertise, and strategic guidance for organizations navigating growth, acquisitions, multi-state expansion, and operational change.

12+
Years Experience
50+
States Covered
CPP
Certified Payroll Professional
Scroll
Services — Strategic Payroll Solutions
What We Do
Expert Payroll Leadership,
Without the Full-Time Hire.

Strategic Payroll Solutions delivers fractional payroll expertise across every stage of your organization's growth — from your first multi-state expansion to a complex acquisition integration.

01
Fractional Payroll Leadership & Interim Executive Oversight
Senior-level payroll leadership on demand. A CPP-credentialed payroll director without the overhead of a full-time executive hire.
02
Multi-State & Federal Payroll Compliance
Navigate the complexity of operating across multiple jurisdictions — registrations, withholding rules, SUI, and ever-changing state requirements.
03
Payroll Risk Management & Audit Readiness
Identify exposure before the IRS does. Comprehensive payroll audits, remediation planning, and documentation that holds up under scrutiny.
04
Payroll Systems, Technology & AI Implementation
In 2026, optimization means technology. System assessments, vendor evaluations, implementation support, and hands-on AI training for your payroll team — because modern tools are not optional anymore.
05
Business Succession & Acquisition Payroll Support
M&A payroll diligence, entity transitions, workforce integration, and the compliance cleanup that acquirers miss until it is too late.
06
Union & Prevailing Wage Payroll Management
Complex certified payroll, Davis-Bacon compliance, and union contract administration handled with precision.
Engagement Tiers
Foundation
Small Business · Under 100 Employees
Starting at $5,500
per month · 3-month minimum
  • Fractional payroll leadership and oversight
  • Multi-state compliance management
  • Payroll audit and risk assessment
  • Process improvement and cleanup
  • Dedicated CPP-credentialed advisor
Most Popular
Growth
Mid-Market · 100–500 Employees
Starting at $7,500
per month · 3-month minimum
  • Everything in Foundation
  • Multi-entity and multi-state complexity
  • Systems optimization and vendor management
  • Acquisition and transition support
  • Union and prevailing wage management
  • AI training for your payroll team
Enterprise
Enterprise · 500+ Employees
Let's Talk
Custom scoped to your environment
  • Everything in Growth
  • Complex M&A payroll diligence
  • Multi-entity workforce integration
  • Executive-level strategic advisory
  • Custom compliance programs
  • Dedicated implementation support
Not Ready for a Retainer?
Advisory Sprint
A focused, short-term engagement for organizations that need expert eyes on a specific problem — a payroll audit, an acquisition, a system transition, or a compliance gap — before committing to an ongoing retainer. Think of it as a trial run with real deliverables.
Payroll Audit
M&A Diligence
System Assessment
Compliance Review
One-Time Project
Starting At
Custom Quoted

All engagements require a 3-month minimum. Tax and compliance filings are always scoped separately. Pricing reflects organizational complexity, employee count, and data quality. Some messes are bigger than others.

About — Strategic Payroll Solutions
About
Shala Druin,
CPP
Founder & Fractional Payroll Director
■
Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) American Payroll Association
■
12+ Years Enterprise Payroll Multi-state, global, union environments
■
All 50 States + US Territories + Canada Multi-jurisdiction compliance coverage
■
The Payroll Lens Published on Substack
Built in the trenches.
Brought to you without the overhead.

I did not come up through a textbook. I spent years running enterprise payroll in environments most people would not survive — global operations, union contracts, multi-entity structures, and multi-state complexity at scale. I learned what real payroll chaos looks like and more importantly how to fix it.

Before founding Strategic Payroll Solutions, I ran global, union, and multi-jurisdiction payroll operations at a $2 billion multinational company across six continents. I have done the forensic cleanup, the acquisition integrations, the compliance reconstructions, and the 3am tax problem calls. I know what it costs when payroll goes wrong — because I have been the one called in to make it right.

I founded SPS to give growing organizations access to that level of expertise without the full-time executive price tag. Mid-market companies navigating growth, acquisitions, and operational change deserve senior payroll leadership. They just do not always need it at 40 hours a week.

"Payroll is not a back-office function. It is a risk management function. The companies that treat it that way never end up in my inbox with a problem."
Direct
No sugarcoating. You get the truth about your payroll situation, even when it is uncomfortable.
Experienced
Real enterprise environments, real compliance fires, real solutions. Not theory.
Strategic
Payroll that protects your business, scales with your growth, and never becomes the problem.
Contact — Strategic Payroll Solutions
Get In Touch
Let's talk about
your payroll situation.

Whether you are navigating a compliance issue, heading into an acquisition, expanding across state lines, or just know something is off -- reach out. The first conversation is always free and always honest.

Email
[email protected]
LinkedIn
Shala Druin, CPP
The Payroll Lens
strategicpayrollsolutions.substack.com
Prefer to talk?
Book a Free 15-Minute Call
No commitment. Just a conversation.
Book Now →
“
Shala stepped into a high-pressure $500M acquisition with extremely tight deadlines and immediately brought control to a complex, high-risk payroll environment. She resolved critical issues including data integrity problems, missed 941 filings, and supported a smooth payroll team transition during a pivotal moment in the deal. Her ability to deliver accurate, compliant results under pressure was exceptional and directly contributed to a successful transaction close.
Shannon Gates
VP of Human Resources · $500M Acquisition
Referral Program — Strategic Payroll Solutions
Referral Program
Know someone who needs
better payroll leadership?

If you know a company that is struggling with payroll compliance, navigating a transition, or just outgrowing their current setup -- send them my way. When they sign an engagement, you get $200 as a thank you. No strings, no hoops.

Referral Reward
$200
paid when they sign
01
Make the Introduction
Connect me with the company via email or send them directly to my site. That is all it takes to start.
02
I Take It From There
I will have an honest conversation with them about their situation. No pressure sales, just a real assessment of whether I can help.
03
You Get Paid
Once they sign an engagement agreement, you receive $200. Simple, fast, no paperwork maze.
■
A note for professional referral partners
If you work with growing companies and regularly see payroll complexity -- whether in an acquisition, a rapid expansion, or a compliance gap -- let's talk about building a formal referral relationship. Your clients get expert payroll leadership. You get a trusted resource to send them to.
Fractional CFOs
HR Consultants
M&A Advisors
Benefits Brokers
Fractional CHROs
Implementation Consultants
Schedule a Call to Learn More →
Or email [email protected] to make a direct introduction.
Reviews — Strategic Payroll Solutions
Reviews & Testimonials
What clients and colleagues
say about working with Shala.
See Google Reviews
“
Shala stepped into a high-pressure $500M acquisition with extremely tight deadlines and immediately brought control to a complex, high-risk payroll environment. She resolved critical issues including data integrity problems, missed 941 filings, and supported a smooth payroll team transition during a pivotal moment in the deal. Her ability to deliver accurate, compliant results under pressure was exceptional and directly contributed to a successful transaction close.
SG
Shannon Gates
VP of Human Resources · $500M Acquisition
Shala managed payroll for more than 2,000 employees across multiple jurisdictions and unions and consistently delivered accurate, timely results. She brings exceptional attention to detail, strong technical expertise, and a deep understanding of multi-state and Canadian payroll compliance. She is proactive, solutions-oriented, and always approaches challenges with professionalism. Any organization would be fortunate to have her supporting their payroll operations.
Charlene Hammell
Global HR Operations Executive
Senior to Shala at Deluxe
Shala served as Payroll Analyst and was incredibly reliable and consistently ensured payroll was processed accurately and on time, even when handling last-minute changes. She has a sharp eye for detail and frequently identified discrepancies in data that required further review, helping prevent issues before they escalated. Any team would be very lucky to have Shala.
Nelli Kazanchyan
HR Professional
Senior to Shala at Deluxe
Shala consistently demonstrated strong attention to detail, reliability, and professionalism in managing payroll responsibilities. She handled sensitive information with care and worked diligently to ensure payroll processes were accurate and timely. A positive and collaborative team member who communicated well with both colleagues and employees. I highly recommend Shala for any organization seeking a dependable and knowledgeable payroll professional.
Kim White
Direct Manager
Managed Shala directly at Deluxe
Have you worked with Shala?
Leave a Google review and help other organizations find the payroll leadership they need.
Leave a Review →
Courses — Strategic Payroll Solutions
Courses
Practical payroll education
built for the real world.

Self-paced courses designed for small business owners, HR professionals, and growing organizations who need to get payroll right without hiring a full-time expert.

Available Now
01
Your First Payroll: Setup Done Right
For LLC and S-Corp owners hiring their first employees or putting themselves on payroll for the first time. A step-by-step guide to EIN, state registrations, payroll system setup, and running your first payroll without the IRS breathing down your neck.
Small Business
LLC & S-Corp
0–5 Employees
Enroll Now →
Coming Soon
02
Prevailing Wages Demystified
Certified payroll, Davis-Bacon compliance, and prevailing wage requirements explained clearly for small contractors and businesses. Understand what you owe, how to calculate it, and how to stay out of trouble on government contracts.
Small Business
Contractors
Government Contracts
Coming Soon
03
Payroll Fundamentals
The foundational course for anyone new to payroll. Gross to net, tax withholding, employer taxes, deposit schedules, and the forms you need to file. Built for HR generalists, office managers, and business owners who need to understand payroll from the ground up.
Beginners
HR Generalists
All Business Sizes
Coming Soon
04
Scaling Payroll: When Growth Outpaces Your Systems
You hired fast, expanded into new states, maybe acquired a company -- and now your payroll is held together with duct tape. This course walks you through how to audit what you have, fix what is broken, and build a payroll infrastructure that can actually scale with you.
Mid-Market
High Growth
Multi-State
New courses launching throughout 2026.
Get notified when a new course drops -- no spam, just a heads up when something relevant to you is ready.
Notify Me →

Resources

Payroll is the most underleveraged compliance function in mid-market finance — and the most expensive to ignore.
In The Payroll Lens, Strategic Payroll Solutions founder Shala breaks down what finance leaders actually need to know about multi-state payroll compliance, vendor management, workforce cost risk, and the operational gaps that turn into IRS penalties. Written for CFOs, Controllers, and VPs of Finance who are done treating payroll as a back-office afterthought.

Most companies heading into a recession think cutting their payroll team down to one person and adding AI software is a smart move. It isn't. AI doesn't reduce your payroll risk it exposes everything that was already broken, and one person cannot triage 800 compliance flags while still running payroll. That's where I come in.

Most organizations are tracking the cost of running payroll. Very few are tracking the cost of getting it wrong. This briefing breaks down the three areas where enterprise payroll liability is quietly compounding and what to do about it before it surfaces on your balance sheet

AI adoption in payroll is no longer optional but most teams don't have the bandwidth to implement it. Here's how payroll departments are using tools they already have to streamline their process.

Payroll is not an administrative function.
It is financial and compliance infrastructure.
And yet most organizations bury it under HR or Finance, under-resource the team, and wonder why things break at the worst possible moment.
You wouldn't put your IT infrastructure under your marketing department.
So why are we doing it to payroll?
I wrote about the structural mistake that's quietly costing growing companies more than they realize — the hidden risks of under-resourced payroll teams, what real payroll leadership looks like, and why this function deserves a seat at the executive table.

Do you need a full-time Payroll Director — or simply the right infrastructure?
In my latest article, I break down when organizations truly require permanent payroll leadership and when fractional executive guidance can stabilize operations, reduce compliance exposure, and build long-term internal capability. Strategic oversight doesn’t always require permanent headcount — but it does require experience.

Hidden payroll risks often go unnoticed as companies grow until they become costly.
This article breaks down common payroll compliance issues mid-size and growing organizations face, including multi-state payroll, commission pay, and benefits misalignment, and explains when a proactive payroll review makes sense

Starting payroll is more than just choosing software. This article outlines five foundational payroll decisions small businesses should get right from day one to support compliance and long-term growth.

Strategic Payroll Solutions
Payroll Consulting & Compliance Support
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