Russ Cancilla has more than 35 years of leadership and management experience in a variety of domestic and international enterprises. He is currently an independent consultant focused on security, leadership and compliance. Previously, he was employed by Baker Hughes Inc. as VP & CSO for Security, Health, Safety and Environment with additional responsibility for the firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility program. In 2009, he was appointed as a corporate executive officer and subsequently became a member of the Senior Executive Committee.
His career in the oil & gas industry began in 1993 at Amoco Corporation as International Security Manager and he subsequently worked at BP as Vice President, Real Estate and General Services managing a $4 billion portfolio and as Vice President, Resources and Capabilities for Health, Safety, Security & Environmental Affairs.
Prior to joining the energy industry, Russ served 21 years in the US Army. His military career culminated at the White House as the Military Aide (Executive Assistant) to the President of the United States where one of his roles was to maintain control and accountability for the Presidential Emergency Satchel, (commonly known as the “Football”). This was followed by his appointment to the USG Senior Executive Service (SES) as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the US & Foreign Commercial Service, US Department of Commerce.
Russ holds a Bachelor's degree in Criminology and a Graduate Degree in Operations Management. He attended the American Management School of International Management (Thunderbird) and Executive Programs at Harvard, Stanford and Cambridge Universities. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy Executive Program at Quantico, VA.
He is a former member of the Security Executive Council, and the International Security Management Association (ISMA). He is currently a member of the FBI National Academy Association. Most recently, he was an adjunct professor at the University of Houston for the Masters of Security Management for Executives (MSME) program and a member of the Advisory Board at the School of Public Affairs. He has also served as a member of the Advisory Board at DePaul University, Chicago, IL.
In 2009, Russ won the CSO Magazine Compass Award for “Visionary Leadership” and he is featured in Security Magazine (May 2009) in an article entitled, “A Seamless Alliance” in which he and his CEO discuss the elements of successful collaboration between a CSO and CEO. In 2012 his security program at Baker Hughes was designated as the number one security program in the oil and gas sector by Security Magazine. Additionally, Security 500 Leaders Profile declared Russ as “The Business Leader” for 2012.
Russ has lectured on topics such as: Aligning Safety & Security as a Strategic Enterprise Function Leadership & Influence Business Resiliency and Risk Identification & Abatement. He was a featured speaker at the 2014 annual meeting of the Academy of Organizational & Occupational Psychiatry on the dynamics of executive leadership.
