Meet Our Global
Leadership Team
Dedicated to Empowering Enterprises with
Agentic AI and Automation
Visionary Leaders, Passionate Innovators
Accelirate’s Leadership
Ahmed Zaidi
CEO & Managing Partner
Ahmed Zaidi is the Chief Executive Officer of Accelirate. As the CEO, Ahmed is responsible for overall company strategy and execution. Passionate about automation, Ahmed started his career as a Wall Street Automation Engineer and prior to co-founding Accelirate, he founded a capital markets-focused consulting business in 2003 which was acquired in 2007 by a Global IT Service Provider.
After the acquisition, Ahmed ran the Capital Markets Division for the acquirer, and established multiple Centers of Excellence within the organization. Having led large enterprise scale automation efforts at Global Investment Banks, Ahmed is intimately familiar with the challenges faced by organizations when tackling transformation projects. One of his key responsibilities at Accelirate is leading our Automation, Machine Learning, and AI Programs to produce practical solutions that solve today’s business problems using the latest in cognitive and AI technologies.
Matt Gallo
Chief Revenue Officer & Partner
Matt Gallo is a Partner and the CRO of Accelirate. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Miami and is a seasoned expert in the IT Industry with experience ranging from enterprise infrastructure to the implementation of cloud strategies and automated solutions. As Accelirate’s Chief Revenue Officer, he is responsible for overseeing and managing all sales and marketing activities for the company. His duties include, but are not limited to sales strategy, revenue generation, prospecting, and business development. Accelirate is widely known for their innovative automation packaged services of which are developed, structured, and built based off Matt’s knowledge of industry needs. Matt’s energy and devotion to success are unparalleled as he brings both immense passion and strong leadership to Accelirate. He has been guiding the company’s growth and success since its inception and is a key asset to the executive team.
Harsh Thakar
Chief Operations Officer & Partner
As Chief Operations Officer, Harsh works with clients to build strategic AI and automation roadmaps. Harsh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Pune located in Western India and is a subject matter expert in automation with more than 15 years of business technology leadership experience in the financial service and educational domains. Prior to joining Accelirate, Harsh worked at Synechron as Software Director where he focused on emerging technologies and established a product design lab to engineer solutions for global businesses and their customers at speed and scale. As COO, Harsh is responsible for overseeing the Automation Developer Training Program at Accelirate, anticipating talent staffing needs, is in charge of all client engagements from an executive level, and is responsible for business strategy and operations as the Automation Industry is exponentially growing and needs are shifting.
Isel Tula
Director of Client Engagements
Isel is our incredible Director of Client Engagements and Team Atlas Manager. Recognized as Accelirate’s first official employee, Isel has shaped the foundation of the company’s automation practice and continues to do so by running our Atlas Enablement and Delivery Team. Holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Information and Telecommunication Technologies from both Tecnológico de Monterrey and Boston University, and having previously worked at Synechron, a global IT Consulting firm, as an Associate of Technology, Isel has a depth of knowledge in IT Services. Her role at Accelirate includes delivering end-to-end automations, managing a program of over 250 processes, and overseeing strategy and automation team builds for scaling full client engagements. Isel is an integral part of the Accelirate Service Delivery team and her leadership and Automation Program knowledge has directly lead to the success of Accelirate Clients.
Shahzad Khokhar
Global Head of Platforms
Shahzad is an entrepreneur, a teacher, a coach, and a dad. He has a master’s degree from Columbia University and is a certified leadership coach through the Cornell University leadership program. While at Columbia, Shahzad won the Columbia Innovation award for his invention, KloudSign, a digital signage solution. He joined Accelirate as part of the acquisition of his Salesforce start up, araZach. While at araZach, Shahzad also created botConnector, an RPA based integration solution for connecting patient data with Health Cloud. Most recently, he was part of the Boston University MBA program teaching team. He is a musician and a poet.
Hossein Ziayan
Director - Corporate Development
Hossein has over 25 years of IT professional experience ranging from COBOL programming on mainframes to front-end/back-end integration and client-server/web-based applications. At Accelirate, Hossein is the Director for Corporate Development and R&D. He is responsible for new product research, our training programs and team coordination. Hossein earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Science from the Polytechnical Institute in Iran and shortly after moved to South Florida. He is extremely talented in the automation space and is an innovative person and a team-player. Hossein is a self-starter and is very knowledgeable in RPA and Intelligent Automation technologies. He is a crucial member of the Accelirate team, as a wise mentor and a teacher.
Cletus Kilker
Automation Sales Director
Cletus Kilker is our passionate Automation Sales Director. He is a technology and sales enthusiast with over 10 years of experience in helping enterprise organizations achieve objectives through the implementation and adoption of automation technology. Cletus earned his BS in Business Management at Moravian University and after years of supporting customer initiatives through Managed IT, Cloud, and Professional Services, Cletus transitioned to the world of Process Automation. Cletus is focused on helping enterprises stay on the leading edge of technology and services that drive business and is most passionate about helping company leaders optimize and modernize how work is done through a practical and highly adopted approach that delivers quick time-to-value ROI. Cletus’s enthusiasm for innovation and professionalism make him a valued part of Accelirate’s team.
Viraj Nalawade
Operations Director-India
Viraj is our dedicated Operations Director for our India operations. He holds a Bachelors of Engineering in Computers and an MBA in Human Resources. As the operations director for our entire India Office and Offshore operations, Viraj is responsible setting goals that promote company growth, overseeing the daily activities of the team, working with our CHRO to develop plans for increasing efficiency and reducing client costs. He is an ambitious and passionate member of the Accelirate team and has played a crucial role in our global growth.
Board of Directors
Zia Bhutta
Chairman
Zia Bhutta is a highly successful entrepreneur and is currently the Founder of ANAI Capital, an investment firm specializing in Digital Platforms, Automation & AI Technologies. With a proven track record of success, Zia has founded/co-founded and grown multiple businesses, including a large IT services firm, a cutting-edge digital marketing & SMS technology product firm, an Automation & AI-focused services firm and several other ventures.
Zia's extensive experience in the technology industry has made him a sought-after expert. He is known for his innovative and forward-thinking approach to business and his ability to identify and capitalize on new market opportunities. His passion for entrepreneurship and drive to succeed have earned him a reputation as a dynamic and visionary leader.