Cezanne appoints Julie Lally as Chief Product Officer

Cezanne has appointed Julie Lally as Chief Product Officer, adding a senior product role as the HR and payroll software company expands its leadership team.

Lally will lead product strategy, innovation and delivery across the platform, working with the leadership team on its direction. The newly created role comes as Cezanne looks to develop its HR and payroll offering in response to changing customer and workplace needs.

She joins with more than 25 years of experience in payroll and HR technology, having held senior roles at Zellis, ADP, MHR, Mitrefinch, Advanced and Ciphr. Her background spans product, growth and commercial roles in a sector reshaped by demand for more integrated systems and simpler user experiences.

Among her best-known achievements is the design and delivery of what Cezanne described as the world's first real-time payroll solution. It is presenting that track record as a sign of how it wants to develop its own platform as employers seek closer links between HR administration and payroll processing.

Lally began her career in payroll operations and later spent more than a decade as a tutor with the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals. That grounding gives her direct experience of a function that remains heavily regulated and central to workforce management.

Growth stage

The hire comes at what Cezanne describes as an important stage in its development. Based in London, with an office in Glasgow, the company sells HR software covering recruitment, onboarding, core HR administration, surveys, performance management and succession planning, alongside payroll software and managed payroll services for UK companies.

The HR and payroll software market has become increasingly competitive as employers look for systems that can manage the full employee lifecycle while reducing manual work for HR teams. Providers are also under pressure to keep products aligned with changes in working patterns, employee expectations, and the compliance demands attached to payroll and people data.

By creating a Chief Product Officer role, Cezanne is placing greater emphasis on senior product leadership. Such appointments have become more common across software companies as boards seek closer oversight of how products are designed, prioritised and delivered.

The move also brings in an executive with a long record in payroll, an area often treated as adjacent to HR software rather than fully integrated with it. That distinction has narrowed in recent years as employers seek joined-up systems combining workforce data, pay administration and employee services.

Simon Noble, Cezanne's Chief Executive, linked the hire to the company's next stage of growth and its plans for the platform.

"Bringing someone of Julie's calibre and experience into the senior team is a significant moment for Cezanne HR. We are at a pivotal point in our growth, with real ambition for what our platform can achieve for HR teams and the organisations they support."

"Julie's combination of deep domain knowledge, hands-on product leadership and genuine understanding of what customers need gives us exactly the right foundation to move forward with confidence. Her track record of delivering innovation that makes a tangible difference to people's working lives is precisely what this role demands, and I'm delighted to welcome her to the business," said Noble.

Lally said she was joining the company at an important point in its development, highlighting the challenge of balancing customer expectations with internal product development.

"It's a real privilege to be joining Cezanne at such an important stage in its journey. There is a strong sense of responsibility that comes with the role, given the expectations of both our customers and our people, alongside the impressive platform and passion for innovation across the business. It's very clear, Cezanne has a genuine commitment to doing things the right way - evolving the product thoughtfully while staying true to its values. I'm excited about what lies ahead and very much looking forward to being part of the next chapter in Cezanne's product evolution," said Lally.