Russ Hagberg was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He served as an officer in the United States Army, Military Intelligence Branch. Russ earned a BS Degree in Marketing from Northern Illinois University and an MBA Degree from the University of Chicago. He served in several senior executive positions for both Santa Fe Industries and the Santa Fe Railway, including Vice President of Human Resources and Labor Relations, Vice President of Transportation Operations, and Senior Vice President & Chief of Staff. He also taught Strategic Management and Leadership classes in both the College of Business and the Graduate School of Business at Northern Illinois University, as well as in the College of Business at the Universidad Sergio Arboleda, in Bogata, Colombia. Russ has also served as a Leadership Judge in annual competitions for the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business.
Russ Hagberg was a member of the Board of Directors of the Santa Fe Railway, the DM&E Railroad, and the Northwest Suburban Chicago area PADS organization.
He is married with five children and five grandchildren. He and his wife, Kris split their time between Illinois and Arizona.
