Russ Sanford, CPSM
Since 2014
Active
SMPS Central Florida member
AEC marketing professional
Russ leads strategic planning, organizational alignment, and transformational change as Chief Strategy Officer at RLF, a 90-year-old architecture, engineering, and interior design firm headquartered in Orlando, Florida. He oversees development and implementation of the firm’s strategic plan across four major objectives: Growing the Firm, RLF’s People, Doing the Work, and Organizational Effectiveness. His leadership focuses on aligning people, processes, and priorities so the organization operates with clarity and moves with purpose—transforming strategy from a document on a shelf into daily practice.
His expertise spans executive-level strategic planning, business development strategy, organizational culture development, and coaching technical professionals to strengthen client relationships and drive sustainable growth. Russ brings a unique perspective as a civil engineer by education and business leader by choice, enabling him to translate between technical excellence and business strategy in ways that resonate with doer-sellers throughout AEC firms.
Previously as Senior Vice President and Chief Growth Officer at Kleinschmidt Associates (2021-2025), Russ directed comprehensive marketing, business development, and sales strategy for the engineering and environmental consulting firm with 12 offices across North America and 220+ staff. His tenure included service as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer (2017-2021) and Senior Manager in Corporate Planning and Development (2011-2017), demonstrating 14 years of progressive executive leadership at a single firm.
Before joining Kleinschmidt, Russ founded SR Strategy & Coaching (2010-2011) as “Your Outsourced Chief Marketing Officer” for the AEC industry, developing proactive business development strategies and coaching architects and engineers in client relationships. Earlier C-suite experience includes serving as Chief Marketing Officer at CR architecture + design (2009-2010) and Senior Vice President at Equity Inc. (2003-2009), where he increased healthcare real estate development and construction volume from $2.5 million to $60 million in five years.
Russ demonstrates exceptional professional leadership through his SMPS Fellow designation (Class of 2019), joining an elite group demonstrating at least 15 years of marketing expertise and 10+ years of active SMPS involvement. In a featured SMPS “Get to Know” interview (February 2022), Russ articulated that becoming a Fellow represents recognition for giving back to SMPS and the industry—a responsibility he embraces through extensive volunteer service at chapter, regional, and Society levels.
Currently serving as SMPS Central Florida President (2025-26), Russ leads strategic direction for one of the Society’s most dynamic chapters serving the Orlando region. His presidential leadership demonstrates sustained commitment to chapter excellence, professional development programming, and member engagement. As a technically trained civil engineer who became a C-suite executive, Russ brings special affinity for engineers and architects navigating business development responsibilities—investing significant time training doer-sellers and mentoring technical professionals.
Featured speaker and educator across SMPS chapters and conferences, Russ regularly facilitates CPSM study groups teaching Domain 3: Client & Business Development for chapters throughout Florida (Central Florida, South Florida). His educational contributions help aspiring CPSMs master business development fundamentals, drawing on his extensive practitioner experience coaching technical professionals. In 2024-2025, he led multiple study group sessions preparing candidates for CPSM certification exams.
Russ’s thought leadership extends nationally through conference presentations addressing strategic alignment, leadership development, and business development culture. Featured panelist at the 2025 Amplify A|E|C conference session “Driving Sustainable Growth: Integrating AI with Human-Centered Strategies,” Russ explored how leading AEC companies blend technology with human-centered strategies including communication, trust-building, adaptability, and leadership—soft skills that differentiate firms beyond AI capabilities.
His business development expertise includes developing comprehensive BD programs that educate technical professionals on cross-selling services while maintaining fanatical focus on client relationships. At Kleinschmidt, Russ created the firm’s Business Development Program promoting technical development regardless of career track and played key roles in leadership development initiatives. His coaching methodology emphasizes data-driven advocacy, teaching professionals to use metrics like hit rates, capture rates, and proposal expenses to secure senior leadership support for strategic changes.
Approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as Team Leader/Senior Auditor for Owners Dam Safety Program (ODSP) Audits, Russ brings deep understanding of organizational management, communication, and leadership principles for complex organizations. He participated on teams completing ODSP Audits for hydroelectric owners with portfolios spanning 65 dams across 14 states—demonstrating expertise in regulatory compliance, risk management, and organizational assessment.
Russ’s educational philosophy emphasizes continuous learning through professional development, reading, and mentorship. He advocates for data-driven decision making, recommending tools like Steven Covey’s Urgent Important Matrix and emphasizing that executives must understand what technical professionals in leadership roles care about—numbers that demonstrate program effectiveness and justify resource allocation.
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