Fortis, the payment technology leader for software platforms and scaling businesses, today announced the appointments of Brent Coles as Chief Financial Officer and Sharat Shankar as Chief Risk and Operations Officer.
“Brent and Sharat join Fortis at a crucial point in our company’s trajectory,” said Greg Cohen, CEO of Fortis. “As we scale to meet increasing market demand, their combined expertise in financial operations, risk management, and strategic partnerships will be critical to our success. Both leaders bring proven track records of driving growth and operational excellence in fast-moving fintech environments.”
Brent Coles brings more than 25 years of fintech and payments leadership to Fortis. He has held senior finance roles at leading payments companies including Onbe, Clearent, and BluePay, where he demonstrated expertise in scaling high-growth businesses, managing M&A transactions, and partnering with private equity sponsors to deliver measurable results.
At Fortis, Coles will oversee all financial operations, including strategic planning, forecasting, and capital allocation. He will work closely with the executive team to strengthen financial discipline and support strategic growth initiatives across the company’s partner and ERP ecosystems.
“I joined Fortis because of the significant opportunity ahead,” said Coles. “The company has built strong market positioning and assembled the right technology and team. My focus will be on building the financial infrastructure needed to scale efficiently while delivering value to our customers, partners, and stakeholders.”
Sharat Shankar brings deep payments, lending, and fintech expertise to Fortis. Most recently, he served as EVP of Risk at Corpay, a global business spend management platform. His background also includes senior leadership positions at established financial technology companies including Intuit and First Data.
In his role at Fortis, Shankar will oversee the company’s operations and risk functions, with a focus on operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and partner experience. His expertise will be instrumental as Fortis expands its embedded payments capabilities while maintaining best-in-class risk management practices.
“The embedded payments space is evolving rapidly, and Fortis is uniquely positioned to lead that transformation,” said Shankar. “I’m excited to work with the team to deliver exceptional partner and customer experiences while enabling scalable growth.”
