Escalent hires two senior staff

US – Data analytics and advisory firm Escalent has appointed Abhinav Kothari as chief information and technology officer and Kisha Payton has been appointed as chief diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officer and global head of culture.

Abhinav Kothari

Before joining Escalent, which is the parent company of C Space and Hall & Partners, Kothari (pictured) was the chief technology officer at Vivvix, and previously served as vice-president of engineering at MRI-Simmons.

Kothari will bring knowledge in automation and artificial intelligence, including intelligent automation and actionable intelligence, to support Escalent’s digital transformation initiatives.

Melissa Sauter, chief executive officer at Escalent, said: “We look forward to Abhinav’s expertise advancing our strategic initiatives and uncovering growth opportunities to keep Escalent and its business units, C Space and Hall & Partners, at the forefront of technological innovation.

“Abhinav’s forward-thinking leadership will be instrumental as we continue to evolve and enhance our capabilities for our clients.”

Payton will lead on the integration of DEI principles throughout the organisation at Escalanet, as well as scaling the DEI ThinkTank across the company’s research and advisory services.

Before taking up the role at Escalent, Payton spent 14 years at C Space, which was acquired by Escalent in 2023, and established the company’s employee resource group programme and led its DEI think tank.

Kisha brings a wealth of experience and a valuable perspective to our executive team. Her passion for fostering an inclusive environment and her talent for affecting meaningful change will be an important driver of our culture,” added Sauter.

“With the support of her leadership, we are eager to weave DEI into every aspect of our work, ensuring that everyone at Escalent feels respected and empowered.”

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