What is your name?
James Paton
What is your job title?
UK Payroll Delivery Manager
What do you do?
Manage & support our UK Payroll Team based in Aberdeen, UK.
What key skills do you bring to activpayroll?
I’ve accumulated 18 years of payroll experience across Public Sector, Oil & Gas and Bureau environments with various roles from Administrator to Payroll Build/Implementation to management, running payrolls with headcounts ranging from 1 to 16000! My previous role was in the Banking sector therefore customer service has always been high on my priorities and I’m a firm believer in building partnerships and bonding with our customers.
What gives you the most satisfaction about your job?
Delivering payrolls correctly on time, seeing our customers happy and working with the great team we have built around us.
How did you get into the payroll/tax industry and why?
By chance, in 2002 I saw an advert in a local newspaper for a Local Government Trainee Payroll Administrator and never looked back.
What has been the most challenging project you’ve worked on at activpayroll? Why?
This has to be bedding in a 16000 headcount International Shipping Payroll which is constantly evolving. The sheer volume requires heavy automation and it is satisfying to see the results, especially when considering all the different stakeholders working together across the globe.
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement outside of activpayroll?
I think this has to be buying a house in the countryside, recently marrying and welcoming our new born son into the world.
What company value means the most to you and why?
Flexibility. All our customers have differing requirements and I believe in a discretionary common sense approach rather than red tape.
Do you have any hobbies/ what do you like to do in your free time?
Mountain biking, country walks, nature and family time with wife, son and two crazy kittens! I’m a keen DIY’er and enjoy home/garden improvement, but also like a lazy evening on the sofa with a good Discovery Channel Reality Series and a glass of something cold!
Who is your professional role model and why?
I can think of a few of my past (and current) line managers who have given me the opportunity to become who I am now and will always be grateful for their belief and support.
If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be and why?
Obviously, my wife but maybe someone like Sir David Attenborough would come a close second! I think for what he has achieved and the stories he could tell would be fascinating.
