Finding Balance in the Mountains: Russ Rogers, Senior Consultant
A 7 year member of the Prime 8 family, Russ Rogers joined the team in 2013. Currently a Senior Consultant for Microsoft Artificial Intelligence Chief of Staff, Russ holds B.A. in History from the University of Washington and an M.B.A from George Washington University.
The depth and wealth of Russ’s marketing experience , spanning his 30 year career in corporate and worldwide roles, across both Agency and large technology companies, in product, segment and executive communications roles, has ensured his stellar success in Microsoft’s segment and product marketing teams as well as start-ups in the technology and medical devices industries.
Russ is passionate about the research and engineering space, where he helps clients communicate the benefits of their technologies and products to internal company and external customer and partner audiences
The mountains of Park City Utah are where you will find ski enthusiast Russ, where he lives with his wife Nicole, mixing his interests in technology marketing with time on Wasatch Mountains’ ski runs and bike trails. With four children - three boys and one girl with - two still at home and two working in the Pacific Northwest technology sector (son Spencer also works for Prime 8!), Russ has actively served on Boards, and in Coaching and Volunteer roles with youth baseball and alpine ski racing organizations over the years, currently serving on the Aspen Springs Ranch Board of Trustees. We chatted with Russ about his career highlight, what makes a great consultant and why he enjoys the balance of living in the snowy mountains of Utah.
Walk us through your role as a Senior Consultant.
I partner with Microsoft 365 Core Chief of Communications handling executive communications, organizing events, managing Sharepoint, and marketing. I work with the rhythm of business and my role includes a lot of variety.
What has been a highlight of your career?
A highlight for me has been the opportunity to work remotely the last five years and continue working with amazing clients while I am remote.
What has been your favorite project at Prime 8 to date?
This current project has been my favorite because my client is awesome as a human being. Enjoying working with your client really does make all the difference.
How do you stay motivated?
Motivation has come pretty easy when you have great clients, which has been the entire time that I have been with Prime 8. I have really wonderful projects, from videos to Sharepoint management to working with executives on presentations; I have enjoyed many awesome experiences. I also get to work at my home office with an incredible view at 7,000 feet in Utah. That fact that I can hop on my skis or my mountain bike after work is a great motivation for me as well.
How did you get connected with Prime 8?
I have known Drew and Nicolette (Prime 8 owners and founders) for about 20 years. I worked with Drew at Microsoft and we were part of small and mid-market business together. We were sort of partners in crime. I also ran into Nicolette often as she worked in finance at Microsoft. Drew and I stayed in contact over time and I eventually joined Prime 8 as a consultant.
What has kept you at Prime 8 for seven years?
Everything about Prime 8 works for me. I have the opportunity to work independently and also have management oversight if needed. This is a really great team that is loaded with consultants with varied backgrounds and expertise. There are many awesome resources as well as people to reach out to. For example, Damian Madsen, a fellow Prime 8 team member, has helped me become Sharepoint master. The Prime 8 brand is really top notch. When you have that Prime 8 email address, it legitimizes you and vendors have a high regard for you because of Prime 8’s pristine and respected reputation. Also, when I told Drew that I was relocating to Utah, he didn’t even blink. I was able to continue on with my role remotely which was incredible for me. The growth I have seen in the Prime 8 teams is amazing. It’s also awesome to see the increase the breadth of portfolio at Microsoft as well as diversifying our clients.
What’s your favorite aspect about working at Prime 8?
The great clients that Prime 8 has access to is unreal; there’s never a boring day.
What makes Prime 8 unique and valuable for a consultant that might be considering applying?
They have built a true consulting practice. It’s special to have a true headquarters and opportunities for consultants to work and collaborate with team members as well as technical support if needed.
What makes Prime 8 unique and valuable to organizations that might be considering hiring a consulting company?
Prime 8 consultants are seasoned, experienced, and ready to succeed. The client can share their goal and trust that the consultant will deliver with trust and reliability. There is a complete confidence for consultant to get the job done without having to be managed.
What makes a great consultant?
I believe a great consultant is filled with curiosity, has amazing listening skills, asks good questions, and outstanding observation skills. A top-notch consultant will use these skills to identify what the client needs to be personally successful as well as the overall well-being of the team. I also believe that a successful consultant has experience in a diverse set of projects, products and customer types.
How do you like to spend the weekend?
I make sure my boys are ready for skiing on the weekends and I also take the dogs for a walk. Typically, you can find me mountain biking, hiking or skiing on the weekends.
What is your favorite aspect about living in Utah?
I just really enjoy ski runs and bike trails right outside my front door as I live right in the middle of the largest ski resort in the world. We get 400 inches of snow a year!
What is one person or group, past or present, that you would like to have dinner with? Why?
I would love to have dinner with all my kids once a year and have them all be the same age. There’s something nostalgic about having them all be five or sixteen or even all adults so we can gather around the table and connect.
Learn more about why our consultants love being a part of the Prime 8 family. Want to join the us? We’d love to hear from you. Tell us about yourself here.
