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Russell likes fixing things. He's constantly on the lookout for opportunities to repair or improve the world around him. Example? Once, he bought a house that was halfway finished. The catch? All work had to stop immediately so he could do it himself. Russell likes making people's lives better, too. He's mentored students for Minds Matter, a not- for-profit organization that helps low-income, high-performing high-schoolers prepare for entry into Ivy League colleges. Russell is a hands-on kind of guy. His education started early on his family's dairy farm in Wisconsin, where he learned the value of being resourceful and doing things for himself. A bachelor's degree in finance (University of Wisconsin) and a dual MBA in information management and finance (University of Texas) taught him how to apply his fix-it skills to a wide range of business problems. While in graduate school, Russell focused on advancing his career in Portland, Oregon, his "goal city" for many years. Portland appealed to Russell for its strong sense of community, unique neighborhoods and active citizens. The fact that the city was full of old homes begging to be restored didn't hurt either. Before joining ACME, Russell spent over 13 years repairing outdated and inefficient systems for companies like Intel and Sabre Group. His scope covered finance, accounting, supply chain, enterprise architecture, business process redesign, and systems implementations. The common thread throughout his career has been addressing the "unfixable problem." In 2007, Russell received the "IT Excellence Award," Intel's highest recognition for IT professionals, for his successful delivery of something that had always eluded the company: a detailed working model and strategy for all products and services across the $1.4 billion organization. Russell's first fixer-upper came out beautifully. Now he's working on his second home, built in 1912. But his spare time is far more precious these days with the addition of two children to his family. And he has a new side project — a 1957 pickup truck. It's in his driveway, just waiting for repairs. As with everything, Russell can see the possibilities. Somehow, he'll find a way to make it run like new. |
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