Dr. Jeff Russakow is a transformational executive officer with over 20 years of unusually diverse operating and general management experience across the enterprise, mid-market, and consumer tech segments; across software, internet & digital media, tech-enabled services, and hardware. Jeff has had deep experience in public companies with multi-billion dollar P&L’s and large global organizations; growth and private equity mid-caps scaling through hyper-growth periods; and early-stage venture-backed start-ups finding their market fit.
Most recently, Jeff held the role of CEO at Gimbal, an innovative spin-out of Qualcomm that is the leading location and proximity-based mobile engagement platform. He helped double organic revenue while transforming the company from a primarily hardware model to 80% recurring SaaS and data/media revenues. The company added over 90 enterprise customers and partners before successfully selling to TMM.
Prior, Jeff was CEO of Findly, a market-leading Enterprise HCM (Human Capital Management) SaaS provider for on-demand talent acquisition. With over 2000 enterprise customers and 20 million plus end users, Jeff helped grow the company to over 450 employees and earn a spot on the Global 100 Companies to Watch in 2014.
In 2009, Jeff was named Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer for Yahoo!. While directly reporting to the CEO, Jeff was recruited to improve their customer focus and operational performance. He led the 2200-person services and business operations organization comprised of Global Field Operations, Global Ad Operations, Consumer and Small Business Services, Global Outsourcing, and Business Transformation.
Jeff held various Vice President positions (Corporate Strategy, Global Enterprise Support Services, and Product Management and Solutions Engineering) from 2006 to 2009 for Symantec, the world’s leading cyber security company. Prior to Symantec, Jeff worked for Adobe Systems as Vice President of WW Sales Operations and Customer Support, and prior to that role, he was Vice President of Strategy and Field Operations for SAP America.
Jeff began his professional career at McKinsey & Company, with a focus on major company transformation and acceleration efforts within high tech. He was a leader within the Firm’s software and services practice.
Dr. Russakow received his Ph.D. from Stanford in 1995 in Mechanical Engineering, with a focus on Robotics, Dynamics, and Controls, and Autonomous Systems. His dual undergraduate focus at Princeton included Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, and Public Policy and International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School.
