About
Monica Maldonado
Monica Maldonado is a seasoned Payroll Manager with over 20 years of experience leading payroll operations for organizations across the U.S. and globally. She partners with high-growth companies to streamline systems, ensure compliance, and design scalable payroll processes that bring both structure and strategy to the heart of operations. Monica’s expertise spans multi-state and international payroll, tax compliance, systems implementation, and organizational change, making her a trusted leader in high-stakes, high-impact environments.
A Certified Payroll Professional (CPP), Monica has successfully managed payroll for over 100,000 employees across all 50 states, as well as in Canada, the Netherlands, and South Africa. Results define her career: she has led full-scale payroll transformations, built departments from the ground up, introduced automation tools that cut processing time in half, and driven compliance initiatives that saved companies thousands in penalties. From navigating year-end complexities to configuring Workday payroll systems, Monica delivers excellence through clarity, precision, and a deep understanding of both the technical and human sides of payroll.
What sets Monica apart is her philosophy of generous leadership. She doesn’t just share what she knows; she shares how she learned it and where others can learn too. With a passion for continuous education and a commitment to creating better systems for the next person in line, she operates with a clear purpose: to uplift, educate, and open doors. She is currently building a personal and professional brand focused on demystifying payroll as a career path, particularly for those who haven’t followed a traditional route, and aims to launch training programs to help others break into the field.
Monica’s journey is as inspiring as her leadership. Raised in Brooklyn with Puerto Rican roots, she started her career as a junior HR assistant and worked her way up through hard-earned experience and relentless learning. Early in her profession, a pivotal moment came when she almost declined a promotion due to insecurities about her accent. A mentor’s encouragement changed everything: “Don’t ever be ashamed of that accent. That’s how you got here.” That advice now fuels her mission to lead authentically and to be the example she once needed, especially for women of color navigating professional spaces.
Her values (family, integrity, wisdom, authenticity, and growth) guide her personally and professionally. Monica lives them daily, balancing demanding projects with family-first priorities and approaching each season of life with intention. Whether she’s leading a payroll transformation, building out team SOPs, mentoring new professionals, or walking an hour after she wakes up to set her day with intention before a full day of meetings, Monica is committed to showing up with excellence and care.
She is also deeply proud of the life and legacy she’s creating. Monica blends street smarts with spreadsheets and cultural pride with corporate strategy. She’s not only processed payroll across continents but also reshaped what leadership in payroll can look like. As she continues to evolve, she remains driven by one goal: to lead with purpose, to build with integrity, and to ensure that every person or business she touches is better because she was there.
Latest articles from my blog
Why is an integrated HR and payroll system essential for preventing costly payroll errors? How can a unified HR and
What are the most common payroll compliance mistakes companies make, and how much could they cost you? How can businesses