Russell Baker

Russell Baker has a diverse work experience spanning over two decades. Russell started their career at Deloitte as a Senior Auditor from August 1997 to November 2001. Russell then joined The Coca-Cola Company in December 2001 as a Principal Auditor in the Corporate Audit Group until July 2003.

After leaving Coca-Cola, Russell Baker returned to the company in August 2005 as an Associate Brand Manager for Diet Coke & Coke Zero. Russell held several roles within the company, including Brand Manager for Coke Zero from September 2007 to January 2009. Russell further progressed to become a Senior Brand Manager for Coke Zero from February 2009 to October 2009. Under their leadership, the Coke Zero business achieved three plus years of double-digit growth and attained Billion-Dollar Brand status.

In October 2009, Russell Baker was promoted to the position of Director of Channel Strategy & Planning for Small Format Channels at Coca-Cola. Russell led a team responsible for developing strategies and commercial plans for key channels such as Convenience Retail, Drug, and Value. In May 2012, Russell Baker became the Group Director of Retail Channel Strategy & Planning, where they led a team in formulating strategies and annual commercial plans for all U.S. Retail channels.

In May 2013, Russell Baker was again promoted to become the Vice President of Sales Capabilities at Coca-Cola, a role they held until January 2015. Russell subsequently served as the Vice President of Shopper Marketing from February 2015 to April 2016.

After leaving Coca-Cola, Russell Baker joined Wingard in October 2016 as a Brand Strategist. Throughout their tenure, they partnered with clients to provide marketing strategy and brand development solutions. In January 2018, they were promoted to the position of Chief Strategy Officer, where they continued to use their expertise to help clients define their business, target audience, and competitive advantage. Finally, in March 2019, Russell Baker was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Wingard, where they currently serve in a leadership role.

Russell Baker obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a focus on Accounting from the University of Georgia - Terry College of Business. Russell then went on to earn an MBA with a concentration in Marketing, Finance, and Management from Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management. Additionally, they obtained a certification as a Certified Public Accountant (C.P.A.) in August 1999.