Richard Russell

Russell and Company SARL-S

Richard Russell is a Level 2 Ambassador of the Agile Academy, known for his deep experience in scaling agile leadership across some of the world’s most innovative organizations. With over 20 years of global impact—ranging from product leadership at Google and Amazon to executive coaching for billion-dollar enterprises and hypergrowth scaleups—Richard brings a rare blend of strategic insight, operational excellence, and human-centered leadership.

Having led teams of over 100 people and owned P&Ls worth billions, Richard understands the real-world pressures of leadership. His work is rooted in practical agility, helping organizations build adaptable management systems that grow with scale. From software development to customer success, sales, and marketing, his broad experience fuels his mission: empowering others to thrive. Whether advising executives or mentoring emerging leaders, Richard inspires confidence, clarity, and action.

Agile Academy Ambassador Level 2

since 2017

active as a trainer

10 - 50

Trainings performed

251 - 500

Participants trained

Experience

Richard Russell is a seasoned executive coach, trainer, and transformation advisor who has spent more than two decades helping organizations evolve through agility, leadership, and systems thinking. He has held pivotal roles at world-leading companies like Google and Amazon, where he led cross-functional teams, shaped product strategy, and built scalable customer-centric operations.

In addition to his time in Big Tech, Richard has consulted for major global enterprises and some of the fastest-growing startups across sectors including software, retail, customer service, and digital marketing. His unique career path spans software development, sales and marketing, product leadership, and C-level management, giving him a 360-degree perspective on how organizations grow and succeed.

Richard specializes in building adaptive management systems that align strategy with execution—turning complexity into clarity and growth. Whether supporting large transformations or working one-on-one with leaders, he brings empathy, candor, and results-focused guidance to every engagement.

He holds certifications in agile leadership and coaching and frequently speaks on topics related to scalable leadership and systems design. Above all, Richard’s passion lies in helping others unlock their full potential. His leadership philosophy is simple yet profound: it is not about him—it is about empowering you.

Languages

English

Industries

Automotive & Mobility
Aviation
Consumer Products
Energy & Natural Resources
Financial Services
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Infrastructure & Construction
Media & Entertainment
Private Equity
Real Estate
Retail
Social & Public Sector
Technology
Telecommunications
Transportation
Travel & Leisure

Agile Academy Ambassador

Certified by Agile Academy Ambassadors are handpicked experts who embody our commitment to advancing Agile education and practice. As trusted professionals, they contribute to the Agile Academy community in various ways, including:

Delivering certified training and e-learning courses to build practical Agile skills.
Providing transformation coaching for teams and organizations.
Sharing insights through articles, case studies, and thought leadership.

If you want to work with this person, please contact us at team@scrum-academy.com.

If you're interested in becoming an Agile Academy Ambassador, please contact us at team@scrum-academy.com.

Work with Richard Russell

Richard is open to provide training, coaching and consulting services. Contact us to learn more.

Links, Articles & Case Studies

OKRs That Work for You

In this insightful conversation, Richard Russell and Sohrab Salimi delve into the effective implementation of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) within organizations.

On Defining Customer Value by Working Backwards

Richard discusses the "Working Backwards" strategy he learned at Amazon and how it applies to building customer-centric products.

Consult and Build Trust: Influence the Business and the People

Richard shares his journey from programming to executive coaching, emphasizing the importance of building trust and understanding business needs.

New Expert: Richard Russell

An introduction to Richard's role as an OKR and Executive Coach for high-growth tech companies, highlighting his background and expertise.

The OKR Operating System: How Great Managers Deliver Reliable Results, Engage Their People, and Run Operations, Strategy, Goals, Planning and Execution

Richard Russell’s The OKR Operating System is a practical guide for managers to drive reliable results, align teams, and streamline strategy execution using OKRs. It offers simple, actionable tools to manage goals, meetings, and performance without micromanagement.

The Product Model at Amazon

This article explores how Amazon applies the product operating model to drive innovation at scale. Using the origin story of Amazon Prime, it highlights Amazon’s customer-centric approach, strategic focus, and use of structured product discovery (like PRFAQs and six-pagers). It emphasizes how Amazon solves hard problems through disciplined experimentation and clarity in product vision—traits shared by the world’s best product companies.