Russ Aebig

Russ Aebig is career management consultant with a strong focus on business results, the leverage of technology, and the people who make it happen. Over the last decade he has served as CIO for a billion-dollar company, and was an advisor to private-equity and CIOs on all M&A and IT optimization efforts. These efforts have been built off of a strong technology foundation applied to a global client base.

Russ brings deep AI and emerging technology expertise to his work with clients, drawing on decades of experience as a technology executive and advisor. He has led enterprise-scale AI implementations, including voice recognition systems, machine learning for unstructured data processing, and the development of scalable operating models for AI deployment.

With a background that spans Private Equity advisory, digital transformation leadership, and hands-on management of innovation teams, Russ helps organizations translate AI potential into operational reality. He guides clients through strategic decision points—identifying leverage opportunities, navigating organizational complexity, and ensuring that AI investments deliver measurable business outcomes and sustained advantage

Experience

Russ comes to FPOV from Golden West Food Group, a $1.1B global manufacturer of food and beverages, where he was the chief information officer. There he changed the culture of the IT organization into a high-performance group, lead a rehabilitation of its ERP, positioned the organization to maximize valuation, and established strong relationships with vendors and partners.

Prior to Golden West he served as a director within AlixPartners’ digital practice, a strategic management consulting firm based in New York. Russ worked with private equity firms, boards of directors, and C-suite executives to help with strategic initiatives in M&A as well as addressing operational weakness, program assurance, and critical technology implementation. While at AlixPartners he was a founding member of AlixCoaches, a sub-practice coaching AlixPartners consultants in critical areas of effective consulting.

Russ has also led leadership positions at a global IT outsourcing firm, a global advisory practice, and a national captive pharmacy.

Background

Russ has a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University. His insights have been featured in CIO Canada and the Graziadio Business Review. He is an occasional adjunct professor at the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University, teaching the strategic use of technology. Russ has also served as the Strategy Chair on the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation Board of Directors. The organization is dedicated to eliminating childhood cancers through cutting edge-research funding. He lives in Orange County, California.