Essen Otu is a DEI practitioner, cultural curator, community re-investor and art enthusiast with a career spanning government, healthcare, non-profit and utility industries.

Essen is the Manager of Diversity and Inclusion at SRP where he is responsible for providing corporate leadership and direction for diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging strategies in support of business objectives and corporate goals. He leads SRP’s D&I Department charged with applying the power of diversity, inclusion and belonging to build a more equitable and sustainable future for SRP’s customers, employees and community.

Prior to Joining SRP, Essen spent over ten as Senior Director of Diversity & Community Affairs for a local primary care health system where he led the organization’s D&I and community engagement strategy through three-fold expansion.

Essen is a Class 26 graduate of Valley Leadership, a Phoenix Business Journal 40 Under 40 award recipient, a Virginia G. Piper fellow alumni and currently serves on the boards of the Arizona Community Foundation, Diversity Leadership Alliance and the Vitalyst Health Foundation, where he served as past Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Essen received his undergraduate degree from Arizona State University and graduate degree from Baruch College in New York through the National Urban Fellows Program.

Essen takes the most joy in being the proud husband of Allison Otu and father of three beautiful daughters, Sahara, Amel, and Aya.