I didn't have to change who I was to lead. Being myself, honest, kind, and genuine, was enough, and that's the legacy I want to leave.
Praveena Gregory · In Her Own Words
Her Story
About Praveena
Praveena Gregory serves as Senior Payroll Manager at KinderCare, the largest private daycare in the U.S. She oversees payroll processing for approximately 50,000 weekly and bi-weekly employees using the Workday system and leads payroll optimization projects. Praveena began her career in the tourism industry in the Fiji Islands as a cashier and payroll clerk in a handicraft store, where handing out paychecks inspired her lifelong passion for payroll. With over 20 years of experience, she started in the U.S. with a high school diploma from Indian College and Methodist School in the Fiji Islands, later earning her CPP certification and multiple Workday certifications including Payroll, Reporting, and Time and Attendance. She is part of the Payroll Leader Network. Praveena attributes her success to her drive for operational excellence and her commitment to delivering accurate payroll on time every time while ensuring compliance. She emphasizes payroll transformation, standardization, automation, and bringing teams along through change management. Her advice to young women entering the Payroll field is to never give up, believe in themselves, and focus on Payroll accuracy to build trust. Also always remember to be Be Grateful when things go your way. And be Graceful if they do not. Throughout your career you will face many challenges. Some things will work out, some won't. Remember to always be Graceful or Grateful.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Praveena
01What do you attribute your success to?
My drive for operational excellence and my simple motto of delivering accurate payroll on time, every time. That's what drives me, like, that's always in the back of my mind. I'm always thinking about, you know, I'm touching these employees' lives, how can I get their payroll on time, make sure that it's error-free, and all along, you know, making sure that, you know, we're in compliance with all the rules and the tax laws and everything else.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Lead with authenticity and be True to yourself. Leadership isn't about being perfect—it's about being courageous, staying true to your values, and helping others succeed. Be resilient, stay curious, and never underestimate the impact you can have.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Never give up. I started off as a payroll clerk. I never gave up. I worked, you know, I had… sometimes I had to work twice as hard. Always believe in yourself, never give up, and focus on accuracy of your payroll, because accuracy is what builds the trust. You mess up somebody's paycheck, the trust in payroll is tarnished forever. So accuracy builds trust. Focus on delivering an accurate payroll.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is bringing everybody along with change management, as not everybody adapts to change as well. The biggest opportunity is optimization and automation of manual processes while keeping compliance in mind, to deliver accurate and timely payroll.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Be Grateful when things go your way. And be Graceful if they do not. Throughout your career you will face many challenges. Some things will work out, some won't. Remember to always be Graceful or Grateful.
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