Mark White
Rehoboth
Summary
Strategic senior-level payroll professional with 20+ years of experience leading multi-state and global payroll operations for up to 200,000 employees. Proven track record of managing payroll teams and partnering with Finance, Human Resources, and Audit departments as a trusted collaborator and change agent to align payroll processes with organizational goals and priorities. Skilled in systems migration and implementation, policy management, and vendor management, as well as demonstrating deep expertise in payroll and retirement plan funding, reconciliations and audits, federal, state, and international tax compliance, and payroll systems internal controls. Committed to ensuring accuracy, compliance, employee satisfaction, and operational excellence while driving process improvement, and risk mitigation.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Assistant Vice President, North America Payroll
Synchrony
04.2024 - Current
- Ensure weekly and bi-weekly payroll is completed and funded accurately and timely; perform funding validations and reconciliations to payroll feeds and general ledger balances.
- Reconcile payroll system outputs to ledger accounts and investigate variances by delivering clear explanations and executing resolutions in a timely manner; serve as escalation point for resolving systemic issues.
- Provide end-to-end controllership oversight for all aspects of payroll operations, such as ensuring accuracy of the internal payroll website/portal, tax filings, employee bank account validations, employee statements, country/local legislation and regulatory compliance, and adherence to company policies.
- Serve as a strategic thought partner with the Human Resources team to ensure payroll and employee withholdings, earnings, and deductions are in accordance with company policies and employment practices.
- Advise, guide, and provide the Human Resources and Senior Leadership teams with responses to employee inquiries and escalations as it relates to payroll, compensation, and tax.
- Oversee payroll system internal controls and created and implemented the company's overpayment and collections protocols.
- Leverage third-party vendor relationships in the areas of payroll, tax, garnishments, leave management, and human resources customer service in order to establish system improvements and to create the subsequent roadmaps to implement them to ensure a streamlined and consistent process for both the company and the employee.
- Act as primary liaison between external payroll vendors and internal/external audit teams in facilitating audit reviews, documentation requests, and process reviews.
- Responsible for maintaining a thorough understanding of end-to-end payroll and business processes, including transaction flows and key systems and data sources which impact payroll accounts.
- Drive and lead process improvement and simplification initiatives in Workday, improving efficiency, productivity, accuracy, and risk management.
- Travel to and attend quarterly team meetings in Connecticut and New York for the purpose of staying up to date with new company initiatives and policies that affect our department.
- Participated in Synchrony's HR Leadership Development Experience and presented a bold and new idea to Senior Leadership to provide opportunities to increase employee engagement and satisfaction.
- Attended SHRM annual conferences to build my professional network and growth in order to provide cross-functional collaboration with my colleagues.
Payroll Manager
University of Hartford
Hartford
11.2022 - 02.2024
- Managed payroll processing for 1400 plus employees, ensuring accurate and timely payments with Bi-Weekly and Semi-Monthly frequencies utilizing Banner (Ellucian) Software.
- Developed and led a team of 3 direct reports to support payroll administration.
- Created training materials for new hire orientation related to payroll processes and procedures.
- Maintained employee records in compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
- Identified opportunities for process improvements that increase accuracy and efficiency of payroll operations.
- Created payroll reports as requested by senior management.
- Managed timekeeping and payroll systems, overseeing system or technology implementations.
- Provided support to HR personnel regarding payroll inquiries from employees.
- Participated in implementation of simplifying and streamlining payroll processes.
- Performed reconciliation of bank accounts associated with payroll activities.
- Remained up to date on changing tax codes and payroll-related regulations to keep processes current for tax exempt eligible employees.
- Acted as subject-matter expert or resource to facilitate payroll processing.
- Conducted audits to ensure compliance with applicable laws, policies, procedures and internal controls.
- Assisted with various audits by providing records and documentation to auditors.
- Collaborated with IT personnel to troubleshoot technical issues impacting payroll operations.
- Resolved discrepancies between accounts payable and receivable ledgers and general ledger entries.
- Prepared year-end W2 Forms, 1042 Forms, and Quarterly 941/CT State Returns accurately and timely.
Payroll Manager
Virginia Industries
Hartford
05.2022 - 11.2022
- Managed and executed the weekly and bi-weekly payroll process for approximately 500 employees in the manufacturing sector across 3 separate companies, utilizing UKG Ready and ADP Workforce Now.
- Partnered with managers to ensure accurate and timely approval for processing hourly employees' timesheets.
- Managed garnishments, terminations, bonus and retro pays, and state tax registrations.
- Implemented new PTO request and tracking policy in efforts to create transparency for management and for employees.
Senior Payroll Analyst
Hawaiian Airlines
Honolulu
12.2020 - 10.2021
- Tasked with leading process improvement projects as assigned.
- Coordinated new tool to process overpayments, which resulted in recouping 1.8 million dollars owed back to the company.
- Responsible for processing semi-monthly payroll for 8,000 employees, focusing primarily on the pilot and flight attendant population accurately in accordance with Union Labor Agreements.
- Partnered with the crew pay team to ensure data integrity and streamline the crew pay process to drive efficiency and accuracy, while maintaining compliance with the union pay agreements.
- Processed adjustments to Pilot and Flight Attendant Pay.
- Calculated retro and back pay payments as well as identify overpayments owed by employees.
- Responded to employee inquiries delivering world class service.
Senior Payroll Specialist
Ultimate Software/UKG
Phoenix
02.2016 - 12.2020
- Successfully completed a 14-week training class for Ultimate Software, the Rising Stars Program.
- Identified opportunities for Process Improvement to streamline and make the Payroll Process more efficient.
- Participated in the onboarding of 4 clients in managed services to support the payroll team.
- Obtained the Ulti-Expert Certification, an intense 4-week training course to master the entire Ultipro/ UKGPro System from troubleshooting to processing complex payrolls.
- Processed Daily Stock Transactions for Google Employees.
- Processed Full Cycle Bi- Weekly Payroll for 180,000 + Google U.S. and Canada Employees.
- Successfully completed Ultimate Foot Prints Leadership Program.
- Participated in the Payroll Optimization Team in efforts to Bring "outside the box" thinking.
Senior Account Manager/Relationship Manager
Payroll Experts
Scottsdale
03.2014 - 01.2016
- Managed and maintained an assigned client base of 250 high revenue clients.
- Supported clients in troubleshooting & specific use of Evolution Payroll Software, Kronos Time and Attendance Software.
- Served as a subject-matter expert to help clients navigate various topics such as Garnishments, Taxes and ACA Compliance.
- Maintained 99 percent client retention rate through developing a personalized approach and relationship with every client.
- Conducted monthly and quarterly onsite client visits to ensure overall account health and address any issues the client had.
- Researched and resolved tax related discrepancies from various State, Local and Federal Agencies on behalf of the clients.
- Proactively attended and completed supplemental and optional training in efforts for continued growth and knowledge.
- Mentored new hires on learning the payroll software as well as best practices and procedures in order to deliver World Class Service.
- Developed and maintained excellent rapport with assigned client base to ensure top customer satisfaction resulting in 98 percent client retention rate.
- Processed Amendments to adjust prior payroll tax reporting to various agencies.
Senior Client Support Specialist
ADP
Boston
10.2007 - 03.2014
- Successfully completed 12 week new hire training program.
- Participated in various year end efforts in resolving tier II and above case levels delivering timely resolution and world class service to clients.
- Proactively attended and completed supplemental and optional training in efforts for continued growth and knowledge to better support and deliver results to clients.
- Consistently adhered to high standards which resulted in high client satisfaction surveys.
- Organized initiatives to increase client awareness.
- Completed and Passed Skill Based Level 1-3 Testing.
- Selected by management to participate as a Team Lead in the roll out of the Workforce Now Platform for our Large Client Team due to my track record for delivering World Class Customer Service.
Education
High school diploma -
Regis Jesuit High School
Aurora, CO05.2002
Some College (No Degree) - Business Administration
Xavier University
Cincinnati, OHSkills
- Team management
- Data analysis
- Communication skills
- Kronos expertise
- Time and attendance systems
- Payroll tax processing
- Software troubleshooting
- FLSA knowledge
- Payroll tax returns
- Paycheck issuance
- Leadership abilities
- Relationship management
- Employee orientation
- Payroll management
- ACA compliance
- Technical payroll systems support
- State tax knowledge
- Technical proficiency
- Deduction management
- Account management skills
- Root cause analysis expertise
- Supervisory experience
- Workday proficiency
- Stakeholder engagement skills
- Direct deposit management
- GAAP understanding
- State labor laws knowledge
- Microsoft Office proficiency
- FMLA understanding
- ADP expertise
- HR management skills
- Research capabilities
- Mentoring abilities
- Benefits administration skills
- UKG Pro proficiency
Certification
- Certified Payroll Professional, 10/01/16, Present
- Fundamental Payroll Certification, 10/01/13, Present
Timeline
Assistant Vice President, North America Payroll
Synchrony
04.2024 - Current
Payroll Manager
University of Hartford
11.2022 - 02.2024
Payroll Manager
Virginia Industries
05.2022 - 11.2022
Senior Payroll Analyst
Hawaiian Airlines
12.2020 - 10.2021
Senior Payroll Specialist
Ultimate Software/UKG
02.2016 - 12.2020
Senior Account Manager/Relationship Manager
Payroll Experts
03.2014 - 01.2016
Senior Client Support Specialist
ADP
10.2007 - 03.2014
High school diploma -
Regis Jesuit High School
Some College (No Degree) - Business Administration
Xavier University