Essence Dashtaray currently serves as the Director of Talent Acquisition at Paramount since July 2021, following a tenure at ViacomCBS from July 2017 to July 2021, where the position held was Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition. Prior to that, Essence was a Manager of Talent Acquisition at Viacom from May 2012 to July 2017, and an initial role as a Recruiting Associate. Earlier experiences include various positions in human resources, including Campus Recruiter and Human Resources Assistant, along with internships in news and social media. Essence holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies with minors in Human Resource Development and Sports Communication from James Madison University, completed in 2012.