Since assuming leadership of NorthgateArinso in 2009, I have been incredibly impressed and inspired by the dedication, brilliance and work ethic of our team. The growth we have experienced and innovations we have driven are something that we all should be proud of. We are "behind the scenes people" – working to help our clients better manage their talent and resources so that they can focus on the tasks that deliver greater business value.

With the second Greek bailout coming in at €130bn, the jobless rate in the 17 countries using the single currency reaching 10.4% in December 2011 and 71% not expecting the crisis to be over two years according to the most recent Eurobarometer survey (PDF), the outlook continues to look unsettled across Europe.

With business leaders looking to reduce overheads, being able to justify the HR team’s time and resources is more important than ever. Reporting & analytics are crucial to demonstrate HR’s value to the business and technology has a leading role in creating transparency and improving efficiency.

As the New Year begins amidst commentary from Governments, Financiers and the Media saying that it will be one of the toughest we have faced, the one constant that all businesses and organizations must consider in order to survive and, hopefully thrive, is their people. With this in mind, I give to you my three lead predictions for the changing face of HR in 2012’s business landscape.

Prediction One: Multi-country payroll will grow significantly

Over two years ago, AstraZeneca embarked upon a transformational journey. The journey involved the alignment of all of AstraZeneca's HR services and systems globally. The name of the HR transformation journey is 'AZengage', and the numbers were - and still are - truly impressive. 61,000 employees, dozens and dozens of HR systems to be unified, more than 100 countries involved, and a wide range of languages supported.

LJ:  As the Chief Executive Officer of NorthgateArinso, what are your responsibilities?