Employment Hero names James Keene APAC managing director

Employment Hero has appointed James Keene as Managing Director, APAC, in a newly created role spanning New Zealand, Australia and South East Asia.

The move changes the company's regional operating model. Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Ben Thompson will continue to lead the business globally, while Keene takes responsibility for execution across Asia-Pacific.

Keene said New Zealand has been a strong growth market for the company, with customer numbers up 60% over the past two years.

The company has also expanded its New Zealand workforce in line with demand. Keene said the local team has tripled over the same period.

Regional remit

In the APAC role, Keene will oversee go-to-market activity, customer experience, product adoption and team performance across the region. The role is intended to add dedicated senior leadership as Employment Hero scales operations across multiple markets.

Keene joined Employment Hero in 2015 and has held senior commercial roles, most recently as GM of Revenue, ANZ.

Employment Hero describes itself as a provider of employment software covering HR, payroll, recruitment and employee engagement. It also offers an app, EH Work, which it says combines career management and financial wellbeing features.

The company says it serves more than 350,000 businesses and manages more than 2.5 million employees worldwide.

Regulatory pressure

Keene linked the New Zealand opportunity to the compliance demands placed on small and medium-sized employers, citing regulatory change as a driver of complexity.

"It's a pivotal time for the company, which is focused on making employment easier and more valuable for Kiwi SMEs, employees and job seekers," Keene said.

He also pointed to the workload created by ongoing changes to workplace rules and standards. "The growth we're seeing across New Zealand is exceptional. We've tripled our local team over the last two years to keep up with that momentum. Kiwi SMEs are currently dealing with a massive amount of complexity; a constant stream of regulatory changes, from the Holidays Act to shifting compliance standards, and that makes being an employer incredibly difficult and high-risk," he said.

The company's product direction includes greater use of automation and AI. It is developing AI-powered functions as part of its employment platform and describes the approach as "AI-native infrastructure".

Productivity data

Thompson said the company's focus in New Zealand reflects an employment environment where compliance processes can absorb time and resources. He also cited company data that he said points to a productivity issue.

Company data shows hiring has increased while average hours worked have declined by 4.7%, it said. Thompson also pointed to Otago, which he said recorded a 24.4% increase in employment this year.

"In a market this regulated, businesses don't just need more software tools to manage their admin; they need an integrated system that actually does the work for them. James Keene's appointment as Managing Director for APAC is about bringing dedicated leadership to the region to help NZ businesses navigate the unique Kiwi employment landscape," Thompson said.

"Our latest data shows a real productivity challenge: hiring is up, but average hours worked have dropped by 4.7%. For a region like Otago, which saw a 24.4% surge in employment this year, that admin burden is a total handbrake. We are perfectly positioned to help because we've built the AI-native infrastructure that turns employment from a manual struggle into a seamless utility."

Keene said the company is investing in projects tied to customer value and regional execution. "I'm excited to step into this role at a time of real momentum for Employment Hero. We're investing in initiatives that deliver more value for customers every day and that ultimately benefit the people and businesses we serve, from employers and employees to job seekers. My focus is on keeping our teams aligned, moving with pace and purpose, and continuing to make employment easier and more valuable for everyone," he said.