Success By Ten: George Russell's Top Ten Elements to Building a Billion-Dollar Business

Internationally known as an advocate for narrowing the gap between the “haves” and the “have nots,” George Russell focuses on a number of challenges: the promotion of globalization, the destruction of nuclear waste, strengthening U.S.-Russian relations, ground-level humanitarian projects and bridging the current divide between Muslims and non-Muslims in America.

Starting in 1958, George built Frank Russell Company from a small, regional mutual fund company into one of the world’s leading investment advisory firms.  He served as chairman from 1958 until the firm was sold to Northwestern Mutual Life in 1999.  Today, the company guides over 1,900 clients in 44 countries with assets exceeding more than $2.4 trillion, and manages $171 billion in funds.  The company name is commonly recognized by the prominent stock market index The Russell 2000, which is one of a large number of Russell indexes around the world.

A native of Tacoma, Washington, George pioneered the business of pension fund consulting in the late 1960s. He is a well-known advocate of diversified global investing and, along with Warren Buffett, was named in 1993 by Pensions & Investments as one of the four most influential people in the world of institutional investing, in addition to numerous other awards. George received the Lillywhite Award from the Employee Benefits Research Council for outstanding lifetime contributions to enhancing Americans’ economic security in 1998, the CFA Institute’s Thomas L. Hansberger Leadership in Global Investing Award in 2008, and the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service in 2009.

Currently, George serves as Chairman of: The National Bureau of Asian Research; One Nation, a project working to change the perceptions of Islam and Muslims in America; Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies, Inc.; The Russell Family Foundation and Threshold Group. After many years of service, he has recently transitioned to an emeritus role at the EastWest Institute and the Pacific Health Summit. He is on the Leadership Council for the Initiative for Global Development and a member of the International Advisory Board for the University for Peace, which supports peace and security objectives of the United Nations.  George is Honorary Co-Chairman of the Business Humanitarian Forum and a Board Member of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.