Russ Cancilla has over 40 years of leadership and management experience in a variety of domestic and international enterprises. Russ had two symmetrical careers. In his military career, Russ served in the US Army Military Police Corps for 21 years, and he is a three-time combat veteran, which includes two Bronze Star medals. His military career culminated at the White House as the Military Aide to the President of the United States – George H. W. Bush – where one of his roles was to maintain control and accountability for the Presidential Emergency Satchel, (commonly known as the “Football”). Upon his retirement from the military Russ was appointed to the US Government Senior Executive Service (SES) as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the US & Foreign Commercial Service, US Department of Commerce.
His 21-year career in the energy industry began at Amoco Corporation as International Security Director. He subsequently worked at BP as Vice President, Real Estate and General Services managing a $3 billion portfolio and as Vice President, Resources and Capabilities. The final ten years of his career he was employed by Baker Hughes as Senior Vice President & Chief Security Officer for Health, Safety, Security, Business Resiliency, and Environmental Affairs with additional responsibility for the firm’s International Corporate Social Responsibility program. At Baker Hughes, Russ was a corporate officer and a member of the Senior Executive and Strategic Planning Committees.
He attended the American Graduate 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 was an adjunct professor at the University of Houston for the Master of Security Management for Executives (MSME) program and a member of the Advisory Board at the School of Public Affairs. He has sat on a variety of boards and has lectured on various security, leadership and business topics.
Russ has won the CSO Magazine Compass Award for “Visionary Leadership” and he was featured in Security Magazine in an article entitled, “A Seamless Alliance” in which he and his CEO discuss the elements of successful collaboration. His security program at Baker Hughes was designated as the number one security program in the energy sector by Security Magazine. Additionally, Security 500 Leaders Profile declared Russ as “The Business Leader.”
Russ and his wife Loretta recently relocated to Jupiter, FL. He joined WVFR in 2022.
