UnionHub, Inc., the technology company transforming how benefits, payments, and communications are delivered to working families, today announced that Founder and Chairman Edward Haley has transitioned into the role of Chief Executive Officer.
This is less about a change in title and more about a pivotal moment for UnionHub. Edward has been the architect of UnionHub’s strategy and technology since day one. His formal move into the CEO role signals the company’s commitment to scaling its vision, accelerating innovation, and doubling down on the culture that makes UnionHub unique.
Edward’s career began in the military and soon took him to Europe in the early 1990s, where he studied companies like IKEA and Nokia years before they became household names in the United States. In Sweden and Finland, he was exposed to the European model of payments and innovation—systems designed to be employee-forward, socially responsible, and efficient. At that time, Nokia was pioneering cell phone payments through vending machines, one of the world’s first mobile payment systems, and IKEA was experimenting with self-checkout at scale. Those experiences left a lasting impression, shaping Edward’s belief that self-service and payment innovation could transform industries. That vision now sits at the heart of UnionHub.
After returning to the U.S., Edward spent decades building companies in financial services, insurance, and payments, founding organizations such as Union One—the nation’s leader in income replacement benefits for labor unions. He also became an early crypto adopter and remains an active blockchain enthusiast, long before digital assets became mainstream.
From the beginning, Edward believed the benefits and insurance industry could not repair itself. “The people who created the problem cannot be the ones to solve it,” he said. Instead, he built a team deliberately drawn from outside the industry, bringing in leaders with unconventional thinking to tackle challenges that insiders had left unsolved for decades. That choice has proven to be one of UnionHub’s biggest advantages.
Under his leadership, UnionHub has already delivered industry-first solutions, including:
- Payday Deduction that aligns benefits payments with worker paydays
- Three-Minute Enrollment that makes benefits selection as fast and simple as ordering online
- Real-Time Auditing for Self-Administered Billing that introduces a new level of trust and transparency
- Direct Carrier Integration and a unified platform connecting benefits, compliance, payments, and communication in one place
“Technology and innovation have finally caught up with imagination,” Edward said. “That is the opportunity, and we are applying it where others in our industry only see a dead end. Transitioning into the CEO role is about joining the energy of the team I built and leading more actively in the day-to-day work of what we are creating together. I am also stepping in to ensure we are not only building something for the market, but also building a culture and a company that will be a foundation of long-term success. Because it is built from the inside out, we operate and believe in what we are doing.”
For UnionHub employees, the announcement underscores Edward’s commitment not just to technology but to people. Building UnionHub has always been about more than creating a platform—it is about creating an environment where people are trusted to solve big problems, supported in their growth, and given the chance to do work that matters.
“UnionHub is not just software,” Edward added. “It is infrastructure that creates access and delivers solutions that benefit carriers, facilitators, employers, associations, and the workers they serve. Just as importantly, it is a company built by people who believe in what they are doing and who show up every day to prove that an industry can be rebuilt from the inside out.”
