Aron Ain is an American software technology executive[1][2] and author. He became the CEO of UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) in 2020, a role he held until being named UKG Executive Chair, effective July 1, 2022. UKG was created from the merger of Ultimate Software and Kronos Incorporated, and provides global HCM[clarification needed] and workforce management solutions.[clarification needed] Previously, Ain had been the chief executive officer[3] of Kronos Incorporated since 2005.
Career
Ain joined Kronos in 1979 and has played a role in nearly every functional department at the organization. In October 2005, he was named chief executive officer and a member of the Kronos Board of Directors.[2]
In 2007, Ain led the effort to take the company private,[4][5] after going public in 1992.[6]
Under his leadership, the company completed a major, multi-year business transformation, changing from a licensed-software model to a cloud, software-as-a-service (SaaS) model.[7][8]
In 2016, Ain introduced new benefits[9] to employees such as open vacation time[10] and student loan repayment.[11] A new manager performance rating was also created, called the Manager Effectiveness Index (MEI), which captures employee judgments about managers' performance.[12]
In 2017, Kronos relocated its headquarters[13][14] to the Crosspoint Towers in Lowell, Massachusetts.
In 2018, Ain’s book, WorkInspired: How to Build an Organization Where Everyone Loves to Work (McGraw Hill Education) was published. The book chronicles how he and the company’s leadership team used employee engagement as a business strategy to impart leadership lessons onto senior leaders, HR professionals, and people managers.[15][16]
In 2020, Kronos completed a merger with Ultimate Software to create UKG,[17] and Ain became the chairman and chief executive officer of the combined company. UKG has more than 15,000 employees worldwide, and an enterprise value of $35 billion.
On June 1, 2022, UKG announced Ain would transition to UKG Executive Chair, effective July 1, 2022. Chris Todd, former President at UKG, replaced Ain as CEO.[18]
In December 2022, Ain became Operating Partner at Hellman & Friedman, in an effort to help H&F portfolio companies (like UKG) enhance exceptional leadership practices and inspired cultures.[19][20]
Affiliations
Ain serves on the board of trustees of his alma mater, Hamilton College.[21] He is on the board of trustees of Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.[22] He is on the board of directors of Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston (CJP).[23]
Honors
On multiple occasions, Glassdoor has named Ain to its list of Top 100 CEOs in the U.S.[24] In 2019, he ranked 30th out of the 100 highest-rated CEOs throughout North America and parts of Europe across all industries.[25][third-party source needed]
In addition, he has been awarded the Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year award,[26] the Massachusetts High Technology Council's Ray Stata Leadership and Innovation Award,[27] and the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council's CEO of the Year Award.[28][29][30][31]
