If you have had a chance to peek into my LinkedIn Profile you can see all of the details around every position I have held, but I am especially proud and humbled of the 113 written recommendations from my peers, managers, customers and industry connections who have seen my leadership and contribution style first hand.
Always available, ready to helpI worked directly with Russ over the course of his tenure at Level 3/CenturyLink We actually worked together on a daily basis (SAT/Sales Specialist). Russ is “the consummate technology professional.” Always available, ready to help and willing to assist in pretty much any project, issue or opportunity. His knowledge is deep and what what he doesn’t know he investigates and learns. I thoroughly enjoyed working with him and feel I ended up “better” as a result of our partnership. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with him again! Chris Pavlovich Director - CDN & Edge Applications strong technical personRussell and I worked together on several web initiatives and projects. He is strong technical person, good communicator and he has great verbal and written skills. Roman Rubin Vice President continuously displayed a high work ethicI have worked with Russell on several occasions during his time here at ABC. He has continuously displayed a high work ethic and performance with various video / audio systems during several projects assignments at ABC Headquarters. He is knowledgeable, innovative, concise and consistently delivers 100% on all tasks given to him as requested by the clients, (ABC News, Master Control, or any area/facility assigned). As a proven asset, we have valued his input as a member of our team Ronald Reynolds Systems Design Engieer straight-talking, constructive criticism, innovation and deep knowledgeThe way you help people, straight-talking, constructive criticism, innovation and deep knowledge is the key to your success. So I’m grateful for your guidance whenever I needed in any CDN ecosystem matter. Istvan Herrera Solutions Architect CenturyLink.com strong grasp of the digital mediaRuss has a very strong grasp of the digital media space. He was someone that I constantly relied on for industry/technical knowledge, feedback, and advice. His attitude and energy in the workplace is refreshing, he would be a valuable asset to any team. Bill Masur Product Manager cutting edge technical solutionsI have known and worked with Russell for close to 3 years now. Russell is just the person an organization needs to drive towards state-of-the-art, cutting edge technical solutions. His background in IT and Digital Media technology as well as experiences gained as a serial entrepreneur, enable him to see the holistic picture instead of just technology or business by itself. He steps up when the problems are the toughest. It is a pleasure to work with him and to learn from him and the excellent team of specialists he has assembled as director. Ashraf Yussouff Senior Manager one of the pillars of the organizationRuss is a technologist who has the ability to see the big picture and all the details of every project he is involved with. While at VDMS he was one of the pillars of the organization effectively combining Broadcast and IT knowledge to the benefit of the customers and the organization. During the three years we worked together he was my go-to person for anything CDN and OTT related. I highly recommend Russ to any organization looking for a highly skilled technologist and strategic thinker to manage their multifaceted projects. Maciej "Mac" Ochman Operations Manager - Media Systems able to overcome some amazing technical challengesRuss and I have worked as a two man team supporting the General Sales organization at Level3/Centurylink for all things CDN. Together we have worked on some very complex and high profile projects that challenged both of our skill sets to the max. Russ has been able to overcome some amazing technical challenges that would be overwhelming to most but he made it seem effortless. I would highly recommend Russ to be a technical asset to any organization. Jason Alves Director - CDN & Edge Applications eye for detail ensured successRussell is a highly motivated and talented Project Engineer. His organizational skills and eye for detail ensured success on a business critical project where I had considerable interaction with Russell over the last two years. David Lazzarotti Senior Account Manager fantastic people skillsRussell has a unique combination of skills and experiences that sets him apart. He knows technology and how to utilize it to achieve the goal. He is business savvy and considers the costs and long term goals of the business in his solutions. Russell has fantastic people skills managing his team, working with people across departments, communicating with executives and relating with the customers. With little direction Russell can step into complex ambiguous situations and can quickly bring order. He is the “go to guy” for the most challenging problems. David Sumka Product Development strong work ethic, positive attitude, and exceptional problem-solving skillsRob Roskin Managing Principal innovation in a fast moving M&E sectorI had the pleasure of working with Russel right after our shop was acquired by Verizon. Russel was key in determining immediate points of integration having been part of the due diligence team. He is a strategic/technical leader that envisions outcome and possibilities of innovation in a fast moving M&E sector. Russel has the ability to clearly communicate visions to his peers. He is a team player executives like to lean on for straight forward feedback and decision making Ralf Jacob President proven technology professionalRussell is a proven technology professional who worked in a small group that handled firewalls at JPMorganChase. He is very knowledgeable in his line of profession and has a passion to learn more. I have found him to be very good at handling stress and pressure and getting the work done. I wish him good luck in his bright future. Jayesh Patel SAN Engineer excellent at building relationshipsIt was a great pleasure to work with Russ albeit only for a bit longer than 1 yr. Enormously talented & people person. Russ is The go to guy for all things Cloud, CDNs & broadcast video. He’s excellent at building relationships and goes out of his way to help others. I wish him all the luck & hope we get a chance to work together once again. Meanwhile any employer should feel lucky to have him on board. Kapil Sharma Business Innovation Consultant ability to explain the most complicated of solutions and products in the simplest of waysI am lucky to have had the opportunity to work with Russ even if only for a short time. What was apparent immediately was not only his extensive level of knowledge, but also his willingness to share it. It is often said that if you cant explain something simply, then you don’t understand it well enough. Russ has the ability to explain the most complicated of solutions and products in the simplest of ways and always does so with a smile. Carolyn (Diaz) Campione Global Client Service Manager CenturyLink willingness to consider the needs of othersIt has been a pleasure working with Russell. There are two things that really strike me. First, he is absolutely passionate about the industry. He brings strong follow-up and sense of can do to nearly any problem. Along with that, he has tremendous depth. The second thing that is obvious about Russell is his willingness to consider the needs of others and work really hard to solve their problems. The combination of these two elements makes him a strong force in our industry. Todd Erdley Founder, President and Chairperson always strives to be the bestRussell was a conscientious worker always there to do his job as well as help others with theirs. He was always one of the first ones to be at work and one of the last ones to leave. The challenge of the job motivated him to always strive to be the best and to improve his skills through training and hard work. Doug Fagen Technical Associate very knowledgeable professionalI had the pleasure of working with Russell at Verizon. Russell is a very knowledgeable professional with extensive experience across a wide range of technology and delivery systems. Sean Sullivan Senior Director impressed with his abilityWorking with Russell on several critical projects I have been impressed with his ability to maintain his focus on the overall scope of the project while never missing the attention to detail required to ensure a successful implementation. Paul Mahoney Account Director resourceful and knowledgeableRussell is a resourceful and knowledgeable problem solver with a keen awareness of media and IT issues and solutions. I enjoy working with Russell as part of a team in addition to experiencing his leadership style. Laura Gross Senior Engagement Manager wealth of knowledge and integrityI have worked with Russell for several years now as a vendor. Russell has displayed to me a wealth of knowledge and integrity in his work. We collaborated on a major project at CBS and he demonstrated attention to detail from the very conception of the project. Russell is easy to work with and as a vendor has made me feel as part of his team. That approach has provided him with the absolute best service my principal (ADC) can provide on the project. I enjoy working with Russell and I highly recommend Russell in his field of work. Mike Pollaccio President AVT, Inc. NE Representative for ADC, Broadcast Products and APW / Stantron Racks and Enclosures Mike Pollaccio President diligent and fast thinkingRussell is a diligent and fast thinking colleague. He is always on the go. There is nothing that is too hard or not doable for him. He is very resourceful person and always ready to help. It was my pleasure working with Russell for almost 2 years. Bruno Lazo Broadcast Technology Specialist consistently proactive, positive and energeticRussell was instrumental in bringing our trading technology to the leading edge. He was consistently proactive, positive and energetic – and never failed to amaze us with his level of knowledge. Brian McGovern Sales and Marketing Director as a great mentor / advisor for my personal and professional growthRuss is the man! My 5-years at Google, he was always checking in and served as a great mentor / advisor for my personal and professional growth. Now, as the CEO/Co-Founder of Lemonaide Music – he continues to help advocate by brokering strategic relationships between my business and prospective partners/biz opportunities. Would recommend Russ for any startup considering growing their advisory team! Michael "MJ" Jacob CEO endless bucket of knowledgeI have had the pleasure of working with Russ for a little over a year now. He has been a tremendous resource for all things CDN and has helped me numerous times on customer engagements. He has a vast knowledge on the technology and workflows that make up CDN and the internet as a whole. Not only is Russ knowledgeable on technology, but he also provides the communication skills to describe complicated technology in a way which is easy to understand. Russ is an endless bucket of knowledge and an excellent guy as well. I am glad to have had the experience of working alongside him. Jake Ricca CDN Evangelist CenturyLink conscientious leaderI have worked with Russell before on large-scale, video encoding projects, as well as M&A activities within Verizon. Russell is a detail-oriented, conscientious leader, with a solid ability to align the IT priorities with the business needs Igor Kantor Senior Manager it gets done and done rightI’ve had the wonderful opportunity to have Russ as part of my Professional Services team. He is an innovative thinker and problem solver who is welcomes the challenge to roll up his sleeves and get a job done. He also has the ability to instill confidence in with his clients, team members and his superiors. If Russ is on a project, it gets done and done right. Any organization is better off with Russ’ involvement. Jeff Hargleroad EVP Professional Services an expert in broadcast/OTT media workflowsRuss is a great professional who is an expert in broadcast/OTT media workflows as well as cloud and CDN technologies. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience that he is adept at using effectively to solve complex problems. Above all, he is a genuine individual who you can always count on. He is an asset to any organization he is part of. Arijit Ghosh Principal Solutions & Strategy brilliant team he had put togetherRuss is one of the greatest problem solvers I have ever had the pleasure of working with. His tenacity and ability to challenge the status quo for approaching a technological problem is one of his greatest strengths. Simply put, he has helped me out a bunch of times when my projects were in a bind and I honestly can attribute the successful launches of a couple of my products to him and the brilliant team he had put together at Verizon Digital Media Services. Hani Batla Product Manager leader in digital mediaRuss is a leader in digital media integration and technology advancement. When there are questions about capabilities, vendor options or integration cross-points Russ has a can-do approach to problem solving and goal attainment. Russ is also very capable at explaining technology to customers and has a very easy going approach which puts customers at ease. In short, Russ is a leader in the emerging technology field, and a key asset on a team-or leading a team. Ethan Dreilinger Account Director attacks problems from a different perspectiveRussell is an honest dedicated employee. He is detail oriented and brings a tremendous amount IT knowledge to the broadcast industry. His knowledge and willingness to learn make him a tremendous asset. He also is an out of the box thinker and attacks problems from a different perspective. Joseph Nuzzo General Manager / Technical Maintenance always willing to helpRussell is an experienced, dedicated professional and always a pleasure to deal with when I called on him at CBS. He has fantastic people skills and was always willing to help me understand their needs not being very technical. He is very creative, innovative and it’s a great pleasure to know him and his sense of humor is above par! Thank You Russell for all your support and candor!! Rose (Cipriano) Lockwood Global Account Director the best in the industryI’ve been working with Russell for several years now and it has been quite the pleasure. I consider Russ one of the best in the industry. Russ is a true professional with incredible experience and depth of knowledge. I have learned a lot from Russ and am always completely confident when going in front of customers with him. In addition to being an amazing, technical and business resource and CDN expert, Russ is just a great guy. He’s a family man and puts everything he can into his family and his business. I feel very fortunate to have Russ as a coworker and friend in the business. It’s an honor and pleasure to work with him. Elio Parente Senior Director, VyVx Solutions Architecture at CenturyLink great solutions personIn my short time working with Russ, he is a great person to collaborate with on both organizational and technical solutions. He possesses a breadth and depth of knowledge in broadcast, IT and the digital media industries. Russ is great solutions person and leader. Patrick Madigan Solutions Architect the best that I experiencedRussell is a true professional who holistically knows the business. His experience with the customer solutions and the networks supporting is the best that I experienced in the last 20+ years in telecommunications and the digital network. I learned a lot from working with Russell and his ability to share his experiences with a kind attitude. I recommend Russell for any opportunity or challenge that may come his way. He is a true professional in every way! Michael McNeice Sr Manager Digital Content truly amazing in his knowledgeRussell was truly amazing in his knowledge to help our company with new innovative ideas and showed tremendous care and compassion about his help. Working later due to the time zones, making sure we completely understood the process, the workflow and other technical outlines that were increasing everything on our backend eco-system. He even took the time at tradeshows to come and say hello showing us that he will be in our cell phone speed dial for assistance anywhere he is at. A tremendous guy and absolute joy to work with. All Ace’s from our standard. Dr. Jerry Frawley CEO the only person during my tenure to be recognized as our “Outstanding Employee”As the President & CEO of a NYC financial brokerage firm I had the opportunity to see Russ perform very early in his career. It was clear from the outset that he was dedicated and committed to performing at a high level on whatever he was tasked with. Russ was a hard and efficient worker from Day 1, and was the only person during my tenure to be recognized as our “Outstanding Employee” in his very first year with the firm. Clearly he was on his way to bigger and better things, as his terrific resume consistently confirms. Great job Russ!! Richmond T Fisher President and CEO always keep our meeting objectives clearI met Russell several years ago while I was representing Splunk to Verizon. From our very first meeting, it was clear that he saw the “big picture”. He combined a business perspective with technical perspective very well, and that enabled him to ask good questions, provide good coaching, and always keep our meeting objectives clear. I have enjoyed working with Russ in the past, and hope that we have the chance to work together more directly in the future. George Rudnitsky Global Field Success found solutions to some of the complex issuesI recommend Russell Khaimov for his sincerity and dedication. He is a very good team player and it’s been a pleasure to work with him. I appreciate his research and problem solving skills, where he found solutions to some of the complex issues faced by his team. He is ready to take on any new challenges and work through it. Shanvas Razak Application Security Expert easy to get along withRussell has been a coworker of mine at CBS for the past several years. Russell has provided me assistance with many different computer oriented challenges. He has vast knowledge of computer/server hardware, data switches, operating systems, as well as website hosting. In addition to the strong knowledge he has in his field of work, Russell has always been easy to get along with, which has made him a pleasure to work with. Michael Ihlen Managing Engineer fantastic people skills managing his teamRussell is an experienced, dedicated professional with high quality delivery communication and execution. He has demonstrated fantastic people skills managing his team working with cross functional team and solving problems with strategic vision and efficient cost and efforts. He is very creative, innovative and has been a great pleasure knowing him and working with him. Reza Shafiee Technology Fellow always seemed to have several paths to successRuss is a rare combination of deep technical acumen, proactivity, and a keen understanding of the human and political landscape of any solution he’s involved with. Where other Solution Architects may bring you a solution or a path to a solution, Russ always seemed to have several paths to success in his back pocket. He used his skills of perception to suggest the one or two solutions that met a customer’s financial, technical, and emotional/political needs best. These skills often reside across several members of a team, and Russ’ ability to bring all of them to bear on solutions gave Level 3 (and later CenturyLink) a tremendous advantage in meeting our customer’s multi-faceted needs. I look forward to the day our paths cross again and would happily bring Russ into any team I am involved with or work with him on a team he is leading. Stephen Dennison CDN Overlay Director CenturyLink exceptional leadership skillsRuss partnered with NBC Sports in the launch of Formula One’s F1 TV ott service in 2018. A consummate professional and always adding value to any engagement we had with him and CenturyLink CDN, Russ is the type of person you always want on the call. He brings with him not only deep knowledge in cloud and video delivery, but also has exceptional leadership skills and tailors his approach to the person he is helping. I look forward to working with Russ in any capacity and recommend him highly to any one in need of a trusted advisor and manager. Andre Vawdrey Director, D2C Technology built most capable and talented teamsI have worked with Russell for about two years now, through the evolution of Verizon Digital Media Services. When I worked with Russell while he was an individual contributor, I found him to be extremely knowledgeable about video, media delivery, content management, and tools. He was also very easy to work with. After Russell became a Director, I was impressed with him in an entirely different way. He had built from scratch one of the most capable and talented teams I have seen in a long time with a wide range of IT and video skills. I would highly recommend Russell in both individual contributor and leadership roles. Eric Klings Product Manager enthusiasm for his work is extremely infectiousRussell Khaimov is a true dedicated professional i have had the pleasure to work with, his enthusiasm for his work is extremely infectious. He has demonstrated a high degree of expertise in many IT and Digital Media related fields. He is very creative, innovative and has great vision! Purva Parikh Project Manager innovative, fast and collaborative thinkerRussell possesses very deep knowledge in many IT and broadcast related fields. He is very innovative, fast and collaborative thinker, real team player. He has enterprise type of vision, which allows him to manage computer systems in very complex environment. He can do virtually everything in computers field – programming, databases, OS, HW, so on Arkady Shenker Broadcast Systems Manager always the first to offer helpI have worked with Russell for just over a year at Verizon Digital Media Services. During this time I have been truly impressed with his background in IT/Networking technology. He also has a keen understanding of the digital media industry. Always the first to offer help and support, Russell is a terrific colleague. William Tracy Associate Director of Professional Services expertise and ability to gain credibilityRussell is an expert at delivering complex solutions. Through Russell’s expertise and ability to gain credibility with customer executives we were able to deliver global content delivery network solutions forging deep customer partnerships. Ed Martino Sales Account Director his positive energy and leadership styleI had the pleasure to work with Russel at Verizon and I was really impressed with his positive energy, leadership style and technical abilities. He can motivate and lead a group of highly technical individuals and/or at the same time roll up his sleeves to jump on any complex issue. Also his ability to understand and master new and complex concepts and translate these to Engineers or Executives gives him an exceptional skill that is hard to find. I would recommend Russ to anyone looking for a highly technical leader. Giovanni Navas Distinguished Engineer clear understanding and explanationRussell provided information and advice when we needed to convert fielded metadata about TV shows and series to XML for our prototype. Thanks to his clear understanding and explanation of the issues, we were able to do an initial conversion manually for our demo, and agree on a plan for a steady state solution. Bruce Esrig Service Designer strong technical knowledge and uplifting attitudeDuring my time at Level3, Russ has quickly become a technical leader in the organization, showcasing a very strong technical knowledge and uplifting attitude. Always coming to the meeting with a smile on his face, customers can tell he is passionate about his products and he makes sure to explain how it will improve their organization. With a strong attention to details, he is able to orchestrate and work with multiple internal stakeholders to deliver an outstanding customer experience. I would certainly wish to have him back on my team ! Gautier Demond Vice President Sales exactly the sort of team Russell put togetherContent delivery solutions are made by a complex eco-system of large-scale systems and a great professional services team is the one that has a good understanding of the subsystems and how they can scale. That is exactly the sort of team Russell put together at Verizon. My interactions with his team were around telemetry and performance measurement of CDN and I was impressed by how well they knew the space and knew how to efficiently measure and report metrics to their customers. Hossein Lotfi Director, Performance Engineering EdgeCast built a team that in my history is still the strongestRussell is not only an attentive manager but he is also a technologist. It’s very rare to find a manager who can effectively balance the administrative duties that come with being a leader while still holding onto a passion for technology. Russ built a team that in my history is still the strongest team I have ever been on. He set the teams goals and worked tirelessly to ensure we had the proper support to meet them. I would recommend Russ to any company looking for a technologist with excellent leadership qualities. Matt Spidella Distinguished Member of Technical Staff practically the “new” Iron ManRussell is practically the “new” Iron Man …he is A Technologist, Innovator, and consummate professional. He may not be able to save the world but his strong business and technical acumen will drive business value and solve complex challenges for any organization. Tau Mupambirei Technical Project Manager he pushed me and my team to think biggerRuss and I worked together advancing the Lumen CDN business. As a Product leader, you count on people like Russ to be a voice of the customer. Russ served in this role better than anyone I know. He understands the customer, their business requirements and what a product needs to deliver. As a technologist, he pushed me and my team to think bigger, to be more innovative and to think critically about the market. He is a huge asset to companies always striving to be better! Sarah Wu Senior Director of Product Management consistently delivers resultsRuss is an industry expert. I had the pleasure of working on some key strategic opportunities within the CDN space with Russ. He insists on the highest standards on behalf of his customers. He dives deep on the technical details but also provides real live perspective to his customers. He consistently delivers results as a team member and is a sought after subject matter expert not only internally but within the industry as a whole. On top of that, he is great fun to work with. Heather Chamberlin Mellish Senior Sales Director sensitive to others and a very good listenerRussell is a fantastic person to work with, he is not only well versed in technologies but also possesses excellent project management skills. He is sensitive to others and a very good listener, he is great in utilize one’s strength to put a winning team together. While we were working together, I always considered he was the go to person, he was very thorough in answering questions and loved to share his expertise in areas of infrastructure, system design and audio/video Jian Xiao Senior Network Engineer incredible human beingRuss is an incredible human being. He works hard to take care of his customers needs and uses his extensive technical background to read through the lines and figure out what customer expects, even when it doesn’t relate to what they asked for. He is very caring of those around him and goes out of his way to help coworkers. Truly and incredible person.
Brian Walker Solutions Architect extraordinarily talented resourceRussell is an extraordinarily talented resource in all areas of online digital media ecosystem and new ventures. Russell has an extensive knowledge base that is both from a business and technology perspective. I have had the honor to work with Russell on a number of initiatives. Russell is not only impressive in his depth of knowledge but also his adeptness at absorbing conceptual and detailed information. Russell is one of those key individuals you want on your team to ensure success. Russell is a talented, friendly, and articulate person who I highly recommend without hesitation. Mark Brown Director of Professional Services taking initiative and exploring creative solutionsRussell is a great asset to our team, constantly taking initiative and exploring creative solutions to ultimately improve our customer’s experience and accelerate revenues. I appreciate his dynamic ability to adapt to several complex situations, from dealing with internal product development teams solving highly technical problems, to communicating effectively to high-profile customer executives representing our firm. I highly recommend Russell Kyle Okamoto Chief Network Officer His clarity in thinking saved the dayWith the launch of Disney+, Russ was a Solutions Architect at Lumen (then CenturyLink). The stakes were high, the issues were many, the margin for error was zero, we had to succeed. Russ was the calm within the chaos, the guy who could breakdown the problems, and help guide the team forward. His clarity in thinking saved the day many a time. On the sales side, Russ would often participate in strategy sessions. I will always remember him bringing a calm demeanor, clarity, and most of all, the ability to bring a wide range of unique perspectives to help the sales team approach the customer in a meaningful way. When Russ spoke, people listened…a true contributor! Martin Pascale Senior Global Account Manager intelligent and responsibleI have worked with Russell for more than 2 years at JPMChase as a Firewall / Internet Security Specialist, He is very hard working individual, always looking for new challenges, maintaining a very positive attitude, which makes everyone else very comfortable working with him. Russ is a very intelligent and responsible individual,fast and collaborative thinker, real team player who brings with him a great deal of knowledge. Mansoor Shaif Unix System Administrator dedicated and knowledgeableRussell is a dedicated and knowledgeable individual. Any company would be fortunate to have him as an employee. Al Sepanloo Senior Member of Technical Staff known for solving complex problemsRussell is a recognized technical expert. He is known for solving complex problems that bridges multiple areas to achieve business goals. Yakov Rabinovicz Direct of Broadcast Technology very intelligent and responsibleRuss is a very intelligent and responsible individual. While we were working together, he exhibited good technical skills and were very flexible. He built good relationships with co-workers and was easy to get along with. Kevin Yu VPN & Firewall Operations expertly skilled in team managementWorked with Russell for several years, he’s an excellent worker and high moral standard. He’s expertly skilled in team management, enterprise IT, Video systems, and the like. For further recommendation i’m available by phone, just message me on LinkedIN Shawn Satterly Principal Engineer - Video Product pleasant and level headedI have worked with Russell on several projects and found him to always be diligent, informed and detailed oriented. He was consistently pleasant and level headed no matter the stress level. Barbara Santangelo Director of Media Distribution Center amazed to see how beautifully he managed a team of developersI feel really fortunate to have worked with Russell on the iFi.io project. Being a developer I usually came across different challenges and on each hurdle, Russell helped me to arrive at a concrete solution with an in-depth technical discussion. I was amazed to see how beautifully he managed a team of developers, providing absolute freedom to every one of us to experiment and excel and at the same time maintaining a cohesive balance. Working with Russell was a charm as he is extremely supportive and always willing to share his knowledge. Atop all, he always values humanity over anything else. I will always treasure the experience of working together. Arup Bhattacharya Full Stack Developer utmost professionalRussell is the utmost professional. Working with him during Verizon’s Digital Media days, he was a knowledgeable resource who was always willing to help and if he didn’t know the answer, he could find the person who could assist. Russell would make a great addition to any team – it was a pleasure to work with him. Claudia Patterson Senior Technology Program Manager incredibly agile and creativeAt Verizon Russell definitely puts the “solutions” in “Solutions Architect.” He has an insatiable appetite to learn the ins and outs of new and developing products and has an incredibly agile and creative problem-solving mind. Plus he’s a personable and generous colleague and a pleasure to work with. My only caveat – please don’t hire him if it means you’ll be taking him away from our group!! Nick Moore Director of Technical Account Management very hard working individualRussell is very hard working individual, always looking for new challenges, able to maintain a positive attitude no matter what the situation is, which makes everyone else very comfortable and at ease. Percy La Rosa Technical Support Manager Digital Express highly intelligent, articulate, have a good sense of humorPaul Heitlinger Principal - Verizon Ventures addressed quickly and professionallyWhen Russell was on the schedule, I was always comfortable knowing that if there were any technical problems, they would be addressed quickly and professionally. Trudy Gonzalez Senior Manager Content Operations efficient and very knowledgeableRussell was always a pleasure to work with. He was organized, efficient and very knowledgeable. Anyone who works with Russell in the future should experience the same. Barry Gingold Post Production Producer deep understanding of leading edge technologyRussell is one of those few excellent engineers that can break down complex technical systems and make them understandable to the layman. This makes him a pleasure to work with as he supports the sales effort with a deep understanding of leading edge technology and strong communication skills that helps bring our solutions to the market. Russ is a team player, a respected colleague and an asset to our organization. Beth Simon Account Director right there with us in the trenchesWhen Revolt was launching the digital brand on revolt.tv and the Revolt app, we were dealing with many of the issues of a startup; tight timelines, budget considerations, a thousand moving parts, evolving business strategy. Russ and the VDMS team were right there with us in the trenches throughout by writing code on the fly for us, and delivering great streaming services, CDN resources and OTT solutions. I finally went home the day of the Revolt network launch and watched on my iPad and thought that the content looked better there via VDMS than on my TV via cable. I put these guys through the ringer, and they never faltered. I recommend Russ and his team, and the VDMS technology solutions they deliver. Josh Hatter CTO knowledge beyond expectationRussell always displayed a level of knowledge beyond expectation. He has the patience and desire to see any complex problem to conclusion and is not afraid to think inside a larger box. Pete Santorella Senior Account Manager thinks like an entrepreneurRussell is a creative problem solver with the ability to focus on an issue, research, analyze and recommend solutions that will really work. Russell understands the needs of business, thinks like an entrepreneur and is capable of applying his in-depth knowledge of traditional television entertainment industry technology as well as his knowledge of emerging high-value content distribution technologies for the Internet. Last but not least, Russell is a great guy to work with… a shining example of a person who knows his space but is always willing to try learn new concepts, apply new ideas and expand horizons. I highly recommend Russell for any challenging activity where project success is paramount. Kelly Kotera Senior Solutions Architect an expert in CDN and digital mediaI had the pleasure of working with Russ for 6+ years at CenturyLink/Level 3 on a large global media account. Russ is very knowledgeable and a true pleasure to work with. He is an expert in CDN and digital media, and has deep domain expertise of the media space. He works well within a team and is very good with clients. Russ is always willing to do whatever it takes to move the needle, and would be great contributor to any organization Byars Cole Global Client Executive always very preparedI worked with Russell on quite a few pre and post-sales projects during my time as Technical Service Manager at CenturyLink. Russell is always very prepared for customer meetings, brought new ideas to address difficult problems, and always has a positive attitude. Russell is never afraid of jumping in and lending a hand with any issue, big or small, at any time, day or night. Russell’s attention to detail helped in the successful on-boarding of many CDN customers, and his ability to manage customer expectations made him a highly respected resource to lean on when problems were encountered. It has been a pleasure to have had the opportunity to work with Russell. He would make a great addition to any technical team. Rustin Lucken Senior Operations Service Manager his sense of humorIt has been my pleasure to work with Russ over the last 15 months. He worked well with our team and is quick to learn new technologies. As a bonus, his sense of humor served to lighten the unpleasant times that inevitably arise with any job. Neal Puff Technology Leader enabled us to break-down barriersRuss has the unique ability to make technical deep-dives relate to all folks. We collaborated on a solution to deliver a unique approach to one of our most technical customers. Russ’ acumen enabled us to break-down barriers that the customer had previously placed upon our company. Russ’ perspective helped us open up new business avenues that would not have previously happened without his input. Sean Muller Senior Sales Account Executive unique ability to stay focusedI had the pleasure of working with Russell while he was at ABC NY. He was always the consummate professional while working on any of his projects. He has a unique ability to stay focused on the smallest of details while maintaining outstanding organizational skills. I always knew that any endeavor Russell was part of would be done correctly, quickly and with outstanding aplomb. Russell was a credit to his group and we missed him terribly after he left. Joe Kenny Director of Distribution Systems adept at complicated project managementI had the distinct pleasure of working with Russell Khaimov for two years at Verizon’s Digital Media Services group. Russ and his team assisted sales and our customers with technical insights and integration and Russ proved especially adept at complicated project management including an international integration I was working on. I would heartily recommend Russ as a strategic thinker with exception – highly current – technical skills and the ability to manage and execute very complicated projects. Jim Ballard Account Executive a leader every step of the wayRuss has been a constant in the evolution of Verizon Digital Media Services from startup to the mature video platform and content delivery network it is today. He has been a leader every step of the way. His broadcast engineering experience has helped use set the long-term technology roadmap that gave our teams clarity and focus. His quick-thinking and innovative style have kept our sales and delivery teams continuously thinking about how we can deliver value for he customer. He is a “Swiss army knife” of problem solving, able to go from code level diagnostics to large scale technology strategy planning and executive communication. I have enjoyed working with Russ immensely and my personal challenge will be to see how I can stay connected with him throughout our professional careers. He is a friend and an advisor. Nick Strauss Advisor to Technology M&E Executives very professional and easy to communicateI recently had the pleasure of working with Russell in his acquisition of PartyPages.com from my company. Russell was very professional and easy to communicate with. I look forward to working with Russell and Sevari LLC again in the future. Matthew Miller Owner of PartyPages speed up development timeWorking with Russ was a true pleasure. Russ was instrumental in enabling the core Scheduler component, by researching, testing and proving an Open Source solution was going to speed up development time by an order of magnitude. I’d definitely like to work with him again and I look forward to doing it in the near future. Franciso Amadeo Co-Founder remarkably agile and strategic thinkerLaszlo Gaspar Senior Global Industry Partner an aura of positive energyRuss carries an aura of positive energy, excitement, technical knowledge, thirst to make the company/himself better, and always makes time to help his team up and down the chain of command. He is one of the best leaders, technologist, and all around team players that I have had the pleasure of working with. Throughout my time working with Russ, he never lost aura. On the contrary, it grew, due to his hard work, self-reflection, attention to detail, and determination. He continues to inspire me to be a better father, husband, and professional. Jon Roth Technical Project Manager extremely well informedIt was my pleasure to work with Russell during his time at Verizon. Russell was an architectural resource providing thought leadership, sales support, and engaged in heavy customer interaction. Russell’s knowledge of the Media and Entertainment vertical and the associated technologies is as strong as anyone I have ever worked with. He has a great ability to extend his knowledge to extrapolate to complex technical solutions. Russell is a reliable coworker, a pleasure to work alongside, and extremely well informed in his space. Gerard Onorato Security Services Director enabled us to deliver results faster with less effortWe worked together with Russ on 5G Edge projects, integrating GCP with Verizon’s cellular network infrastructure. Russ is a team player with quick understanding and in-depth technical knowledge which enabled us to deliver results faster with less effort. Looking forward to work together again! Gabor Illes Technology Strategy Manager large amount of new customers in a short timeRussell’s energetic, results focused and technologically savvy approach helped a lot to steer Verizon Digital Media activities to the rapid and effective deployment and ability to onboard a large amount of new customers in a short time. Russell proved to be a very knowledgeable person in many areas – Internet routing and HTTP streaming, broadcast streams acquisition and media storage. Combining both his personal expertise and good personal and management skills Russell had created and led an A-team of professionals that was able to quickly create and deploy trials, discover and implement new solutions as well as to support customers during migration projects. It was my pleasure and honor to be part of the professional services team under the leadership of Russell Khaimov. Alex Tiraspolsky Senior Solutions Architect fountain of informationI worked under Russell’s Business Technology team at Verizon. Russell’s a fountain of information about the latest product releases, competitive stats, and creative ways to solve customer problems. Working for Russ was a breath of fresh air as he tirelessly worked to put his team members in the best positions to succeed. I have personally enjoyed working for Russ and will continue to try to stay connected with him throughout my career. Edison Tien Distinguished Member of Technical Staff a positive effect on our business beyond building revenueI had the pleasure of working with Russ at VDMS and always admired his growth-mindset. This leadership style had a positive effect on our business beyond building revenue; specifically Russ could be counted on to promote innovative ways of solving challenges, build team confidence and collaboration all while increasing client engagement and most importantly, in building trust and commitment to achieving our goals! Suzanne (Haskell) Barker Divisional Vice President perfect person for in-depth critical technical conversationsRussell is a positive team player who possesses a can do attitude. He is the perfect person for in-depth critical technical conversations, with a panache for defining and describing technical jargon. His intelligence has made him a “go to” person for Verizon CDN delivery services. I truly appreciate working with him and find him to be a respectable colleague. Erin Lucas Solutions Architect an incredible manager and mentorI had the pleasure of working with Russ, a manager who was not only reliable and supportive, but also inspired the team to always try our hardest. In the short time that I worked with him, he was incredibly resourceful and helped me tremendously in my professional development as a software engineer. He assisted me in setting realistic goals for our weekly sprints, pushed the team towards test-driven development, and also provided the resources to learn different technologies, such as Ionic Framework, Firebase and Jenkins. All in all, Russ was an incredible manager and mentor who would make a great addition to any organization Navin Abichandani Full Stack Developer his insistence on teaching others and passing on his knowledgeRussell is a unique individual who is not only knowledgeable in many technologies, but also has an expertise in many of these as well. One of his key attributes is his insistence on teaching others and passing on his knowledge and experience. Russell designed and completed many high-profile projects while at CBS and we really missed him when he left. Jay Bergman VP Engineering at CBS strong analytical problem-solving skillsI have worked with Russell on several IT projects. Russell has strong analytical problem-solving skills and is a very good communicator. He has shown excellent project management skills, and detailed knowledge in many IT areas including networking and security. Javier Fernandez Senior Network Engineer pleasant demeanor with his extensive knowledgeRussell is conscientious and experienced in his field. His pleasant demeanor combined with his extensive knowledge make working with him a satisfying experience. I can highly recommend Russell and am confident he will be an asset to any organization. Cynthia Czelder Network Technical Manager unconditional potential for successI have had the opportunity to work with and alongside Russ at CenturyLink Communications and I can honestly state without equivocation that he possesses the skill sets and attributes of character that suggest an unconditional potential for success in any organisation that is lucky to have him. Kimmon Stair Sales Engineer person to go to, to get the job doneRussell was THE person to go to to get the job done. Many a time a crisis was avoided or lessened because of Russell. Jay Akselrud Senior Consultant thoughtful technical leaderRuss is a thoughtful technical leader with a terrific grasp of the complex Media & Entertainment industry. I was very impressed with how quickly he came to learn technical details about our product, and how he could apply that knowledge to help shape the product direction. I highly recommend him and would love to have a chance to work with him Kanwaldeep Kalsi Account Director a great leader and an adept, proactive advocateRuss is a great leader and an adept, proactive advocate of technology.. Very technically deep and has a way of relating that tech know-how to solutions for customers and across the business more broadly to solve key issues we are facing. Always willing to help out and does a great job building cross-functional relationships that go a long way to getting things done internally in a highly scalable way.. I highly recommend Russ Jeff Geiser VP, Global Solutions Engineering outstanding solutions architectRussell is an outstanding solutions architect who combines detailed technical knowledge of broadcast media with modern IT practices. He is a consummate team player and works well with others. Russell routinely contributes new ideas to difficult problems and learns complex technical subjects quickly. David Christophersen Manager / Solutions Architecture able to effectively “techno-bond” with customersRussell has that hard-to-find multi-skill combination of highly technical understanding plus deep business acumen. During the time we worked together penetrating (and Winning!) large accounts deals for CenturyLink CDN services, Russell was able to effectively ” techno-bond” with customers and drive our internal teams to deliver a winning solution by translating customer needs into competitive advantages. His problem solving skill range is wide. They go from creating a quick Python script all the way to architecting a complex and large solution for a top global gaming company! Russell also was a key voice to our development teams providing strategic feedback to keep our services competitive. We are sad to see Russell leaving our team and at the same time glad to see his career developing all the way to the BIg Leagues! Juan Pablo (JP) Perez Solutions Architect CenturyLink a trusted partnerRuss is a trusted partner who can develop technical strategies and business development plans to help the organization succeed (regardless of the technology or org structure). One of his superpowers is digital media. We had a great collaboration back in our Verizon days together (across business units). I’m always looking for technical collaborators who want to share and develop/innovate the next great idea like Russ. Thank you for your friendship and partnership over the years! Brett Rogers Director of Product Management not only brilliant but is extremely capableRussell possesses a wealth of knowledge in the Broadcast TV, IP, IT and OTT digital media markets. He is not only brilliant but is extremely capable and willing to educate and inform his clients and colleagues alike. Russell would be an invaluable addition to any team that needs his broad-based technical expertise. Jim Grady Solutions Architect inspired me to learn moreRussell is very knowledgeable about many aspects of Information Technology. If he is confronted with a topic that he does not know, he will make it his business to become knowledgeable in the topic. Working with Russell inspired me to learn more so that i could be as knowledgeable as he. Roberto Wilkins Broadcast Support Specialist pleasant and generousTo Whom It May Concern: It is with great privilege that I write to you in recommendation of Russell Khaimov. Until recently, I have been a co-worker with him at another company. I have found him to be a pleasant, generous person who is never afraid to take on a challenging task. He has been one of our most dedicated employees. He brings with him a great deal of knowledge as a Firewall / Internet Security Specialist. Russell is an independent, self directed person who is able to communicate effectively and meet even the most demanding challenges. While his on the job performance has been nothing less than stellar, Russell has also become a close friend to many of us. Though we are all deeply disappointed to lose Russell, I highly recommend him for employment with your organization. He is a team player, a great person and an absolute pleasure to work with. Best Regards, Vincent Petruzzelli Vincent Petruzzelli driven to seek the bestRussell is truly a renaissance man-driven to seek the best solution to any problem while sharing his knowledge with everyone around him. No question is ever silly or stupid and no task is overlooked. It was a pleasure to work with him at Verizon for three years. His wisdom, patience and team spirit made VDMS a better place to be. Ellin Menlow Marketing Manager |