Ben Thompson wins EY tech award as Employment Hero grows globally

Ben Thompson, CEO and Co-Founder of Employment Hero, has been named the winner in the Technology category of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Australia awards.

The judges recognised Thompson for his leadership role in developing Employment Hero, a company that aims to change the way people work, and his contribution to building a successful technology business in Australia.

The team effort

In response to the recognition, Thompson credited his colleagues and highlighted the company's mission to support small businesses worldwide. He said:

"This recognition belongs to the team. They've driven our mission with me from day one: to make employment easier and more valuable for everyone on earth. It's a huge privilege to serve small businesses. They're under recognised for their contributions globally but we're very proud to champion them."

The award is part of EY's Entrepreneur Of The Year programme in Australia, which is now in its 25th year. The programme is designed to honour founders who demonstrate purpose, drive business growth, and make a positive impact. These values were cited as consistent with the principles behind Employment Hero, which started with the goal of simplifying employment for small business owners.

Growing international footprint

What began as an idea to make employment management simpler has developed into a digital platform now used by more than 350,000 businesses and 2.5 million employees in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Employment Hero's offering was originally targeted at small and medium-sized businesses, aiming to provide them with digital tools previously available only to large enterprises.

According to the company, Employment Hero exceeded AUD $300 million in annual recurring revenue in 2025 and achieved EBITDA profitability during this period. Recent developments include the launch of a two-way talent marketplace and the expansion of EH Work, a digital "superapp" that combines career management with financial wellbeing features for employees.

Origins in employment law

Thompson's experience working as an employment lawyer played a significant part in shaping the company's direction. He observed firsthand the compliance and administrative challenges facing small businesses. This led to the creation of Employment Hero as an all-in-one digital platform for managing HR, payroll, recruitment, and employee engagement needs.

Thompson also acknowledged his peers and the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem. He stated:

"I would like to congratulate Laurent Boillon for being named EY Entrepreneur of the Year, and all category winners. Entrepreneurship is critical to Australia's prosperity, I'm grateful to EY, the judges and this year's inspiring finalists who continue to push what's possible in the technology and founder ecosystem."

Industry recognition

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year programme is recognised for supporting founders and entrepreneurs in over 60 countries. It is designed to honour those who promote innovation, job creation, and economic growth. In Australia, the initiative has acknowledged outstanding entrepreneurial contributions for more than a quarter of a century.