Ascender expands payroll services footprint in Japan with acquisition of Workcloud

Regional momentum sees Ascender add Time & Attendance capabilities to its portfolio in line with 2020 growth strategy
TOKYO, JAPAN, February 15, 2017 - Ascender announced today it has acquired Workcloud, a leading Payroll and Time & Attendance (T&A) services provider in Japan.

This transaction will strengthen Ascender's position as the market leader in HR & payroll software and services across Asia-Pacific by specifically accelerating its growth in Japan. Ascender is now servicing over 3,000 clients and over 1.7m employees in ANZ and the Asia-Pacific region.

"This acquisition positions Ascender as a leader in innovation for multi-national HR and Payroll services in Japan - a critical market in the Asia-Pacific region. As well as complementing Ascender's overall growth strategy and vision, this acquisition also allows us to build on existing market momentum and experience to support our customers with the best products and services. Workcloud has a modern web technology platform which we look forward to building upon as we continue to innovate and expand into Japan", says Marjukka Mäki-Hokkonen, CEO of Ascender.

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 and T&A operations, service agreements and software development.

Following the transaction, Brian Tsai, Workcloud's CEO & Founder, will become the Country Director of Ascender Japan and will be instrumental in leading the business in the market. "Ascender's vision to be the leading HR & payroll services company in Asia resonates with the core values and culture of Workcloud, making this a natural step for us. Ascender is commited to client satisfaction alongside innovation and our strategic partnership will allow us to leverage the best technology available across the network to meet evolving customer needs," says Brian Tsai.