Employment Hero strengthens APAC leadership for next phase of growth

James Keene appointed Managing Director, APAC as Employment Hero invests in senior leadership to scale across the region

Sydney, Australia, 20 March 2026 — Employment Hero, the global leader in managing employment, today announced the appointment of James Keene as Managing Director, APAC, underscoring the company’s continued investment in senior leadership to drive its largest region forward. The APAC remit spans Employment Hero’s most established market in Australia, alongside high-growth opportunities across New Zealand and South East Asia as the business continues to scale.

The appointment marks an evolution in Employment Hero’s regional operating model. CEO and Co-founder Ben Thompson continues to lead the business globally, with James Keene stepping into the Managing Director, APAC role to drive execution across Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia. It also aligns APAC with Employment Hero’s broader approach of dedicated in-market leadership, strengthening leadership in its home market to ensure APAC is equipped to scale with speed, clarity and ambition.

Bringing over a decade of experience leading commercial teams, as Managing Director, APAC, Keene will lead the region’s next chapter of growth, executing Employment Hero’s strategy across go-to-market, customer experience, product adoption and team performance, while keeping the organisation focused on its mission to make employment easier and more valuable for everyone.

Keene steps into the role at a pivotal time for Employment Hero, as the business continues to develop leading AI-powered solutions aligned to its vision to become the world’s first human-centric AI employment platform, helping employers unleash productivity and business growth by automating everyday admin and compliance, and making employment easier and more valuable for everyone.

Keene has been part of the Employment Hero journey almost since inception, having joined in 2015 and progressing through a number of senior commercial leadership roles across the business, most recently as GM of Revenue, ANZ, where he helped accelerate growth and strengthen the foundations required to scale. Keene has been both a commercial and cultural leader across the region, driving an environment where innovation and customer impact is the sharp focus.

Ben Thompson, CEO and Co-founder of Employment Hero, said:
“As Employment Hero grows, so does the need to invest in senior leadership to keep pace with our ambition, particularly in APAC, our biggest region and home market. James is a trusted leader who understands what it takes to scale responsibly while staying anchored to our mission. He will help ensure APAC continues to lead from the front.”

James Keene, Managing Director, APAC, said:

“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.”