CHARLOTTE, N.C., May  04, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- isolved®, a provider of human capital management (HCM) solutions that help organizations recruit, retain and elevate their workforce, today announced that Chief

PCTY

Michael Haske to Become isolved CEO as Company Embarks on Next Phase of AI-Led Growth

isolved CEO Transition: Implications for PCTY and the HCM Market

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  <section data-block="information">
    <h3>Information</h3>
    <p>CHARLOTTE, N.C., May  04, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- isolved®, a provider of human capital management (HCM) solutions that help organizations recruit, retain and elevate their workforce, today announced that Chief</p>
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  <section data-block="ai-summary-paragraph">
    <h3>AI Summary</h3>
    <p>isolved announces the retirement of CEO Mark Duffell, effective May 4, with Michael Haske taking over. Haske&#039;s experience scaling platforms like Paylocity to billions suggests a potential competitive advantage, impacting PCTY&#039;s market standing as isolved aims for an AI-driven future.</p>
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  <section data-block="ai-summary-bullets">
    <h3>Key Points</h3>
    <ul><li>isolved CEO Mark Duffell to retire, replaced by Michael Haske.</li><li>Haske previously scaled Paylocity to over $1 billion in revenue.</li><li>isolved aims to transition beyond traditional SaaS to AI-driven solutions.</li><li>Haske emphasizes the need for advanced automation in HCM.</li><li>Transition focuses on customer success and maintaining strong growth.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="companies-mentioned">
    <h3>Companies Mentioned</h3>
    <ul><li><strong>isolved</strong>: Transition in leadership may influence competitive market strategies.</li><li><strong>Paylocity (PCTY)</strong>: Haske&#039;s background could pressure PCTY amid changing industry dynamics.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="category">
    <h3>Corporate Developments</h3>
    <p>The article falls under Corporate Developments as it discusses significant leadership changes at isolved, which may impact the broader HCM sector and competitive landscape affecting PCTY.</p>
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  <section data-block="market-moving">
    <h3>Market-Moving</h3>
    <ul><li>Michael Haske&#039;s appointment as CEO could change market dynamics in HCM.</li><li>isolved&#039;s push towards AI-driven solutions may enhance competitive offerings.</li><li>If isolved gains market share, PCTY&#039;s growth rate may be impacted.</li><li>The evolution of HCM platforms could prompt PCTY to rethink strategies.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="key-facts">
    <h3>Key Facts</h3>
    <ul><li>Mark Duffell led isolved since March 2020, achieving nearly fourfold revenue growth.</li><li>isolved serves over 200,000 employers and 9 million U.S. employees.</li><li>Michael Haske previously scaled Paylocity to over $1 billion in revenue.</li><li>Haske&#039;s leadership could pivot isolved towards advanced automation and AI.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="trading-thesis">
    <h3>Trading Thesis</h3>
    <p>PCTY may face increased competition due to isolved&#039;s leadership change and AI focus.</p>
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<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/styles/gnw_nitf.css"></link><p align="left">CHARLOTTE, N.C., May  04, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=3z4NDR-1yS-3x5jIjXXwJjwZ6UaMy7RBzwwBU8t1_ozye0x0NTHaR4BJW4AcTKo1ExrISmhBcSThNeDUhNpVoA==" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">isolved</a><sup>&#xAE;</sup>, a provider of human capital management (HCM) solutions that help organizations recruit, retain and elevate their workforce, today announced that Chief Executive Officer Mark Duffell will retire and longtime human resources (HR) technology veteran Michael Haske will become CEO effective May 4, 2026. The transition follows a long-term succession planning process. Duffell will work closely with Haske to ensure a smooth transition.</p>  <p>"When I joined isolved in 2020, we were in the earliest stages of a global pandemic that would change the way we all work," Duffell said. "isolved delivered critical cloud-native HCM and payroll services to small and medium-sized businesses as they adapted to a changing labor environment. We did this through a commitment to product excellence and service delivery. It has been one of the greatest privileges of my career to lead isolved, and I'm proud of what the company has accomplished for its customers, partners and employees. I am confident isolved will continue its success under Michael's leadership."</p>  <p>Duffell joined isolved as CEO in March 2020. During his tenure, the company achieved consistent double-digit growth and profitability, with annual revenue increasing nearly fourfold. He led the evolution of isolved People Cloud&#x2122; into a trusted HCM platform for SMBs and mid-market organizations, administrative service organizations (ASOs) and payroll bureaus, serving businesses in all 50 states. Under his leadership, isolved expanded its capabilities to support the full employee experience, from hire to retire, through a combination of intuitive products and customer service. Today, the isolved community includes more than 200,000 employers and more than 9 million employees nationwide.</p>  <p>"Mark has exemplified what it means to be a dedicated and effective leader," said Rob Palumbo, co-managing partner at Accel-KKR and chairman of the isolved board of directors. "Over more than two decades partnering with Accel-KKR across four successful businesses, Mark has built strong cultures, inspired teams and delivered exceptional results with integrity. We are grateful for his leadership and wish him the best in his retirement. We believe Michael is the right leader for the next phase of isolved's growth, bringing operational and go-to-market expertise along with deep HCM and product knowledge."</p>  <p>"I am honored to lead isolved at this pivotal moment in the HCM industry," Haske said. "Our next phase moves past the traditional SaaS model to establish isolved as a true &#39;Platform of Action.&#39; By integrating Agentic AI and advanced orchestration protocols, we will empower our customers to bridge the gap between human intent and organizational output, fundamentally changing how work gets done.&#34;</p>  <p>Under Haske's leadership, isolved aims to become an intelligent orchestration layer that goes beyond data management to drive real-time business results through agentic AI and human-in-the-loop collaboration. Haske brings experience scaling platforms at Paylocity, ADP and Paychex, along with recent CEO experience in agentic AI, positioning isolved to help bridge the gap between human intent and organizational output. SMB and mid-market organizations will gain access to advanced automation with the simplicity and support they expect within a unified ecosystem.</p>  <p>Haske has built a career focused on empowering modern workforces through technology, with deep expertise in cloud HCM platforms. He spent 16 years at Paylocity (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/PCTY">PCTY</a>), helping scale the company to more than $1 billion in annual revenue and playing a key role in its IPO as president and chief operating officer. He began his career at ADP and later spent 10 years at Paychex. Most recently, he served as CEO of Krista Software, a provider of agentic AI orchestration and intelligent automation. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration in marketing and finance from the University of Michigan.</p>  <p><strong>About isolved<sup>&#xAE; </sup></strong></p>  <p>isolved is a leading provider of human capital management (HCM) solutions that combines modern technology with expert services and support. Purpose-built for People Heroes&#x2122;, isolved gives HR, payroll and benefits leaders the tools and insights to streamline operations and deliver employee experiences that matter. isolved People Cloud&#x2122; is a connected HCM platform with built-in artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics that brings together HR, payroll, benefits, workforce management and talent management in one experience. Built on a legacy of 40 years in the market, isolved is trusted by more than 200,000 employers and used by 9 million U.S. employees, representing about one in 20 American workers. Visit <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=d6sZK8zNDWQUCG7PMIt4tST8AtxfepVX0oxX8A2i850O403oXhUuLjMuht3brkSA2pxM9aBa5Dxoj6ozygCJCJGQAwfYH2LS_23Y1MT3rG0=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.isolvedhcm.com.</a></p>  <p><strong>Media Contact </strong></p>  <p>Hannah Stephenson        </p>  <p><a href="mailto:media@isolvedhcm.com">media@isolvedhcm.com</a></p> <img alt="" class="__GNW8366DE3E__IMG" src="https://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ti?nf=OTcxMjUyNiM3NTgxNjM0IzIzMDQ1NjQ="></img> <br></br><img alt="" src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/NGY0NTZkMzItNzQxMy00M2EzLWEzYWYtNmI3YzQ2ODU1Njc3LTEzMTYxMTQtMjAyNi0wNS0wNC1lbg==/tiny/isolved.png" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></img><p><a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c7803669-a575-4be5-a22a-b9982b790c1c"><img src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/c7803669-a575-4be5-a22a-b9982b790c1c/small/isolved-logo-color-pos-rgb-jpg.jpg" border="0" width="150" height="40" alt="Primary Logo"></img></a></p>

isolved announces the retirement of CEO Mark Duffell, effective May 4, with Michael Haske taking over. Haske's experience scaling platforms like Paylocity to billions suggests a potential competitive advantage, impacting PCTY's market standing as isolved aims for an AI-driven future.

Michael Haske to Become isolved CEO as Company Embarks on Next Phase of AI-Led Growth

AI Summary

Sentiment Rationale

Trading Thesis

Market-Moving

Key Facts

Companies Mentioned

Corporate Developments

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