# Russell Baker

> Russell Baker is CEO, brand strategist, and partner at Wingard, a Jacksonville marketing and communications agency. His career began in accounting and audit before moving into consumer branding and commercial leadership at Coca-Cola. He joined Wingard in 2016, became CEO in March 2019, received a 2022 Ultimate CEO award, and serves as vice chair of Feeding Northeast Florida.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer & Brand Strategist, Partner at Wingard
- **Organizations:** Wingard, The Coca-Cola Company (former employer), Deloitte (former employer), Feeding Northeast Florida, JAX Chamber Trustees, Leadership Jacksonville, Class of 2023
- **Education:** Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting, University of Georgia, Terry College of Business, MBA, Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management
- **Known for:** Jacksonville Business Journal Ultimate CEO honoree, 2022., F.C. Austin Scholar at Kellogg, as stated on his LinkedIn profile., Round-one juror for the 2018 Shopper Marketing Effie Awards.

## Career timeline

- **1997-2001** — Worked as a senior auditor at Deloitte, according to The Org’s career listing.
- **2001-2003** — Worked in Coca-Cola’s Corporate Audit Group, according to The Org’s career listing.
- **2003-2005** — Studied at Kellogg; his LinkedIn profile identifies him as an F.C. Austin Scholar.
- **2005-2009** — Returned to Coca-Cola and worked on Diet Coke and Coke Zero in brand management roles.
- **2009-2016** — Held commercial strategy, sales capabilities, and shopper marketing leadership roles at Coca-Cola.
- **2016** — Joined Wingard.
- **Before March 2019** — Served as Wingard’s chief strategy officer; public accounts disagree on the start date.
- **2019** — Appointed Wingard CEO, effective March 25.
- **2022** — Named a Jacksonville Business Journal Ultimate CEO.
- **2023** — Member of Leadership Jacksonville’s class of 2023.
- **2024** — Listed as vice chair in Feeding Northeast Florida’s 2024 annual report.

## Achievements

- Jacksonville Business Journal Ultimate CEO honoree, 2022.
- F.C. Austin Scholar at Kellogg, as stated on his LinkedIn profile.
- Round-one juror for the 2018 Shopper Marketing Effie Awards.
- Worked on Coke Zero’s repositioning during its growth into a billion-dollar brand; the work was a team and company effort.

## Latest updates

- **2025-11** — Wingard renewed its Florida Theatre corporate partnership; Baker spoke about the role of arts and culture in Jacksonville’s future.
- **2024-08** — Wingard announced Natalie DeYoung as an equity partner; Baker praised her leadership and communication skills.

## Links

- Website: https://www.wearewingard.com/team/russell-baker
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rusbaker/

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/russell-baker
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-06