The youngest on this year’s 40 Under 40 list, 28-year-old Rachel Russell is the assistant director, field marketing at EY (formerly Ernst & Young). She’s based in West Hollywood, Calif.
Why I love my job:
One of the reasons is that it’s the perfect mix of in-person and remote. Some days, I am on-site at events or at lunch meetings with clients. Other times, I work from home and am productive with emails and phone calls. Regardless of the day, I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by an incredibly smart, hard-working team.
My career journey:
After graduating from the USC Marshall School of Business and School of Cinematic Arts, I started my career in entertainment marketing at MGM Studios, Victoria’s Secret, ABC Television, and Sony Pictures at San Diego Comic-Con. I then pivoted to focus more on the business side, joining Deloitte, one of the big four accounting and consulting firms. I worked there as a senior event planner for seven years, owning the end-to-end management of 250-plus marketing campaigns that successfully built brand eminence and generated leads.
During the pandemic, I switched to a startup called Even, which later merged with ONE and became a fintech unicorn backed by Walmart. In my current role as the assistant director, field marketing at EY, I lead the Entrepreneur Of The Year® Greater Los Angeles program, which recognizes the top business leaders of high-growth companies.
Russell (pictured center with former coworkers) worked as a senior event planner for Deloitte for seven years before joining EY's team as the assistant director, field marketing.Photo: Courtesy of Rachel Russell
My leadership style:
I manage two people, and in my office, I have a stack of books displaying this Steve Jobs quote: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
This is a motto that I live by and hope to instill in my team members. I try to always have an optimistic and enthusiastic outlook, which makes work more enjoyable. I strive to create a feeling of trust and confidence that enables every person to do their best work and feel motivated.
My greatest career accomplishment:
I am proud of myself for taking the time to focus on my personal brand. In the past year, I completed an executive education course at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, applied and won seven awards, and was a guest speaker on three webinars. I also built a personal website, expanded my network on LinkedIn, and contributed insights for 12 event-based articles. Investing in myself has been the best decision for my career and has led to even more opportunities.
My most memorable event:
During the pandemic, I spearheaded Deloitte’s transition to virtual events, training a team of Zoom producers. One of my most successful webinars was The Power of Women at Facebook and Deloitte. This event featured a performance by the first female beatboxing world champion, an interview with WNBA president Nneka Ogwumike, a graphic designer visually depicting key themes, women-related trivia questions, an instructor-led workout, and gift boxes that were mailed to attendees’ homes.
Deloitte’s then-global technology, media, and telecommunications leader summed it up: “This event was a roaring success. Absolute magic. I am getting feedback from Facebookers like, ‘That was the best virtual event I have ever attended.’ We had vice presidents spending two hours there with us! Thank you for helping to sculpt a beautiful vision, bringing it to life, and delighting our clients and team members.” 
Russell recalled the more than 250 events she planned and managed during her time at Deloitte. A memorable one includes a speaking session in Las Vegas that led her team to win a $1 million RFP.Photo: Courtesy of Rachel Russell
A time I averted a complete event disaster:
I contracted space at the Aquarium of the Pacific for a client reception. As the event date neared, the venue realized there was a glitch in its reservation system. Somehow, the space had been booked for the same day and time by another group. Unfortunately, the other group had priority because they signed their contract before we did. Not ideal news when you're an event planner and invitations have already been sent!
I stayed calm and worked with the aquarium to determine an alternate space—and this area had the added bonus of a jellyfish touch tank for attendees to interact with. I negotiated with the venue to add some event enhancements, free of cost, due to the last-minute change. One of these additions was a penguin visit, which was a highlight of the night! It just goes to show that if handled calmly and confidently, an event “disaster” can turn into something even better than what you initially planned for.
Some impressive stats I’m responsible for:
I planned and managed more than 250 events at Deloitte. The team won a $1 million RFP from just one of these—a speaking session I organized at the NAB Show in Las Vegas.
For a conference at the ARIA Resort, I planned an exclusive reception, during which attendees designed their own pair of Nike sneakers. The custom shoes were a hit, serving as both a creative activity and a follow-up gift for attendees. This successful reception had a 78% attendance rate and led to 34 sales meetings.
What’s next for me:
I recently started a new job at EY as the program manager for the Entrepreneur Of The Year® Greater Los Angeles awards. Founded in 1986, the program has recognized more than 10,000 entrepreneurs throughout the U.S. and has expanded to nearly 60 countries globally. I am focused on delivering a top-notch experience for the entrepreneurial ecosystem within the greater Los Angeles area.
BizBash's 2023 40 Under 40 list is sponsored by VDA, a Massachusetts-based experiential marketing and event design agency that specializes in custom live, hybrid, and virtual experiences designed to drive business growth through client collaboration and creative thinking.
