NielsenIQ is building a unified global payroll ecosystem across 84 countries with Strada

An interview with Samantha Williams, VP Head of Global Payroll at Nielsen IQ by Gregory Peck

Samantha (Sam) Williams is driving one of the world’s most ambitious global payroll transformations bringing together  NielsenIQ’s 40,000 employees across 84 countries and unifying two legacy ecosystems after the NIQ–GfK merger.

Historically, payroll at NIQ was fragmented across 70+ vendors, disparate processes, and mixed HR platforms. Visibility was limited. Standardization was low. Data was inconsistent. And major markets required heavy manual intervention.

Today, NIQ is laying the foundations of a future‑ready global payroll model supported by Strada’s multi‑country capability, integrated services, and flexible delivery models.

A payroll transformation shaped by scale, complexity and the GfK merger

When NIQ acquired GfK, the need for a unified global payroll became urgent. GfK was already a long‑standing Strada customer, which gave Sam first‑hand proof of delivery quality, local expertise and global consistency. That internal advocacy became a pivotal factor in choosing Strada as the unified partner for the combined organization.

“GfK were already ahead in their payroll journey with Strada. Their experience gave us confidence. It made sense to align and choose a single global partner.”

Samantha Williams VP Head of Global Payroll, NielsenIQ

In parallel, NIQ was rolling out Workday HCM, intensifying the need for a partner experienced in Workday‑integrated payroll across multiple models.

Building one operating model for 84 countries

NIQ has gone live in 17 countries, including its most complex and highest‑volume markets India, the United States, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

India alone represents over 11,000 employees, making it the largest implementation in the programme. To support India’s regulatory landscape, Strada developed a benefits administration module directly within Strada Pay called Strada Benefits. This allows employees to select between the old and new tax regimes through a simple interface, with declarations flowing straight into payroll for compliant TDS calculations. Automated reporting and benefit deductions have reduced manual effort and strengthened accuracy across NIQ’s largest population.

Today Strada delivers services across 50+ countries for NIQ, through Strada Payroll with Strada Benefits module, Managed Payroll Services (MPS), Payroll Processing Services (PPS), all fully integrated into NIQ’s Workday HCM environment. NIQ also leverages Strada’s Workday AMS to support enhancements, fixes and long‑term operational consistency.

NIQ targeted moving 65% of global employee population onto the new Workday + Strada ecosystem, reaching 72% by January 2026. A remarkable achievement in a transformation of this size. 

Impact of NielsenIQ’s payroll transformation at a glance

• 17 countries live including India, US, Mexico and UK
• 11,000+ employees in India successfully implemented
• 70+ payroll vendors reduced to one global partner
• Payroll data and payslips now surfaced directly in Workday
• Global KPIs and visibility established across all countries
• Consistent governance with MPS + PPS deployed in key markets
• Overpayments tracking and upstream error insights now standardized
• Significant uplift in transparency and reporting control

Strada partnership for payroll built on 3 value adding aspects flexibility, scale and real‑world proof

1. Flexibility in payroll delivery models

NIQ needed both fully managed and co‑sourced services. Strada could support high‑volume markets with MPS while enabling PPS for strategic regions where NIQ needed deeper internal ownership.

2. Integrated, global capability

With payroll in 50+ countries, consistent methodologies and Workday‑native integrations, Strada could support NIQ’s entire global footprint. 

3. Proven experience in payroll solution delivery through GfK

GfK’s success became an internal benchmark demonstrating Strada’s ability to deliver in complex European markets and operate at scale.

“This is a marathon, not a sprint. We needed a partner who could stay with us for the long haul, someone who understood the scale, the complexity and our long‑term vision.”

Samantha Williams VP Head of Global Payroll, NielsenIQ

NIQ and Strada continue to partner closely throughout the programme, developing country‑specific capabilities through Strada Benefits for India to ensure payroll works end‑to‑end and remains fully aligned with local regulatory and operational requirements.

Strengthening global visibility and governance

For the first time, NIQ now has:

• A unified KPI dashboard tracking payroll performance globally
• Country‑level visibility into payroll status and compliance
• Standardized overpayments monitoring across all regions
• Upstream error insights used to retrain and guide HR teams
• Greater transparency into vendor‑to‑in‑house transitions

This shift has elevated payroll from a local operational function to a global discipline with real strategic influence.

A global payroll model built for the future

NIQ’s next stage focuses on:

• Consolidating more countries into Strada’s MPS and PPS models
• Expanding Strada Analize for richer analytics
• Harnessing AI for automated compliance, validation and reconciliation
• Considering earned wage access for hourly and pay‑cycle‑sensitive populations
• Continually uplifting skills across markets through a unified operating model

With the majority of NIQ’s workforce already transitioned, the foundation is now set for end‑to‑end consolidation across the full 84‑country footprint.

“Strada Pay is a critical part of our long‑term vision. We needed a payroll engine that could scale with 40,000 employees, adapt to local requirements and give us the transparency we’ve never had before. As more countries move onto Strada Pay, we’re getting closer to a truly global operating model, consistent, compliant and built for the future.”

Samantha Williams VP Head of Global Payroll, NielsenIQ

Sam’s advice for organizations on the same journey

• Don’t underestimate the detail. The biggest delays come from undocumented processes and unknown dependencies.
• Plan for a long‑term partnership. Global payroll at this scale needs stability — you won’t redo this again in five years.
• Understand your skills gap early. Many countries rely heavily on legacy vendors; internal capabilities need time to mature.
• Expect cultural change. Moving from email‑driven local processes to a global model requires consistent change management.
• It’s a marathon, build for sustainability, not speed.

NIQ’s global payroll transformation is one of the most complex in the industry. Under Sam’s leadership and powered by Strada’s multi‑country delivery models, Workday integration and global payroll expertise, NIQ is creating a standardized, transparent and scalable payroll ecosystem built for the long term.