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Fortis, a leader in embedded payment technology for software platforms, has announced a significant expansion of its executive leadership team with the appointments of Brent Coles as Chief Financial Officer and Sharat Shankar as Chief Risk and Operations Officer. These strategic hires are designed to accelerate the company's growth and deepen its capabilities as demand for integrated payment solutions within software and ERP systems continues to surge.
Quick Intel
Fortis appointed Brent Coles as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
The company also appointed Sharat Shankar as Chief Risk and Operations Officer.
The hires aim to accelerate Fortis's embedded payments capabilities.
Coles brings over 25 years of fintech and payments leadership experience.
Shankar has deep expertise from roles at Corpay, Intuit, and First Data.
The move strengthens the C-suite to support scaling and partner network growth.
Strengthening Financial Leadership
Brent Coles joins Fortis with more than 25 years of experience in the fintech and payments sector, having held senior finance roles at companies like Onbe, Clearent, and BluePay. His expertise lies in scaling high-growth businesses, managing mergers and acquisitions, and working with private equity. As CFO, Coles will be responsible for all financial operations, strategic planning, and capital allocation, with a focus on building the financial infrastructure necessary for Fortis to scale efficiently and deliver value to its stakeholders.
Bolstering Risk and Operations
Sharat Shankar brings extensive payments, lending, and fintech expertise to his role as Chief Risk and Operations Officer. Previously serving as EVP of Risk at Corpay and holding leadership positions at Intuit and First Data, Shankar is well-versed in operational efficiency and regulatory compliance. At Fortis, he will oversee the company's operations and risk functions, ensuring the company can expand its embedded payments offerings while maintaining best-in-class risk management and a superior partner experience.
A Strategic Move for Accelerated Growth
The expansion of the C-suite comes at a pivotal time for Fortis as it seeks to capitalize on the growing market for embedded financial solutions. The combined expertise of Coles in financial strategy and Shankar in operational and risk excellence provides a robust foundation for the company's next phase of growth. This leadership reinforcement underscores Fortis's commitment to strengthening its position as a key payments technology partner for software platforms and scaling businesses, enabling them to transform payment processing from a cost center into a strategic advantage.
With this strengthened leadership team, Fortis is well-positioned to execute its strategic initiatives, deepen relationships within its partner network, and continue redefining the B2B payments landscape through seamless, integrated commerce experiences.
Fortis is the leader in embedded payments for software providers and ERP systems, processing billions annually through its proprietary technology. The company's mission is to forge holistic commerce experiences that seamlessly integrate within software workflows—transforming payment processing from cost center to strategic advantage. With expertise in software platforms, Fortis moves commerce closer to invisible by strengthening the payments capabilities of software partners, guiding businesses to reach uncharted growth. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, Fortis is redefining the $100 trillion B2B payments landscape.
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