Ascender acquires ANZ business of NGA Human Resources
Ascender and NGA HR Australia and New Zealand join forces to establish regional payroll market leader
31 January 2017: Ascender and NGA Human Resources today announce they have completed a transaction whereby Ascender has acquired the Australia and New Zealand business of NGA Human Resources, one of Australia’s leading HR and Payroll Technology and Services organisations.
This transaction will create the market leader in HR & payroll software and services in ANZ and the Asia-Pacific region, servicing over 3,000 clients and over 1.7m employees.
As part of the agreement, Ascender and NGA HR have entered into a strategic partnership to deliver payroll and HR services solutions for the ANZ region to ensure a seamless solution for NGA HR’s global payroll and HR clients, as well as continued service delivery for local NGA HR’s customers leveraging NGA’s global delivery centres.
The technology assets and service capabilities acquired from NGA HR include 200 highly trained staff across Australia and New Zealand, and state-of-the art HCM platforms such as Preceda and PS Enterprise. The Association for Payroll Specialists (TAPS) is also part of the transaction and will continue to operate as an independent association, providing payroll advice, training and recruitment services to its 4,000 payroll professional members as it has for the last 26 years.
Through a newly formed partnership, both parties will collaborate to provide ANZ payroll solutions to NGA’s global enterprise clients, as part of NGA’s global payroll offering. The strategic partnership will include collaboration around payroll innovation and broader HR services offerings, including a range of flexible service delivery options for global clients with a footprint in ANZ.
Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of NGA Human Resources says: “Following 15 quarters of continued revenue growth in our ANZ business, we are excited to see the combination of the two businesses to create a distinct regional market leader. Over the years, we have focused relentlessly on client satisfaction and technology innovation, which now allows the combined businesses to claim market leadership in the ANZ region. We are looking forward to working with Ascender in delivering regional payroll solutions to our global enterprise clients as part of our NGA Global Payroll offering.”
This acquisition is aligned to Ascender’s 2020 strategy to become an Asia-Pacific leader in payroll and HR services. As part of the transaction, Ascender will ensure continuity of the acquired payroll operations, service agreements and software development.
Following the transaction, NGA HR’s ANZ President Ms Marjukka Maki-Hokkonen has been appointed CEO of Ascender and will lead the combined businesses.
Marjukka Maki-Hokkonen says: “This is an exciting opportunity which will allow us to claim the top spot in Australia and New Zealand, building on Ascender’s existing market-leading position in Asia. This transaction provides continuity and innovation to clients, and expanded career development opportunities to employees. Our commitment to client satisfaction, technology innovation, compliance and flawless HR and payroll service delivery is unmatched in Australia and New Zealand.”
Andrew Gray, Managing Director of Potentia and Chairman of Ascender’s board added, “This transaction is an important milestone for Ascender and I am looking forward to the long-term strategic partnership with NGA HR. I am thrilled that Marjukka will be leading the combined business. Marjukka’s 15 years’ leadership experience in the industry along with her strong track record and relentless focus on customer satisfaction mean this is exciting news for our clients, partners and employees. We have no doubt she is going to be an exceptional leader through Ascender’s next stage of growth”.
About Ascender: With more than 1.3 million employees of our Customers using Ascender’s HR/Payroll platforms as their workforce source of truth throughout Asia Pacific, nearly 1,400 global brands and listed companies trust us to meet their Payroll and business needs. We serve many large and medium-sized Customers across different industries through 800 Ascender staff in a regional footprint that is built on 35 countries’ local knowledge, and delivered in 31 languages and eight delivery centres.
Ascender was acquired in 2015 by a consortium led by Potentia and including Five V Capital.
About NGA Human Resources: At NGA Human Resources, our mission is to make HR work better. We help organizations worldwide pioneer digital HR, master payroll, ensure compliance, unlock workforce data, and deliver best-in-class HR operations. As a result, HR leaders can create better employee experiences, save money, and transform their organizations.
NGA Human Resources has been a leading provider of HR solutions for over 40 years. We are recognized as a driver of innovation in HR by leading market observers. Our 8,000 staff in 35 countries administer and reward 8 million employees in over 150 countries. What sets us apart is The NGA Advantage. It is a unique combination of deep HR experience and insight, advanced technology platforms and applications, and a global portfolio of flexible service delivery options.
For more information regarding this media release, please contact:
E: hello@ascenderhcm.com
T: 1300 766 400