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For over 40 years, Harriet L. Russell has helped people work better together across cultures. From working on Wall Street in NYC, to sole consultant-translator for ABC News at the G7 Tokyo Economic Summit to jetting off to Minsk hosted by the U.S. State Department, she knows the importance of cross-cultural competence.

Harriet lived and worked overseas for many years. At 24, she traveled Marco Polo’s Silk Route overland for six months through the Middle East to live in Asia. Decades later in her career of multicultural work, Harriet was commended by the Fulbright Commission, awarded by Rotary International for “creating friendly relations among peoples of the world”, and founded an English language library in Kyrgyzstan.

She has written works in three languages and her book, Doing Business with Ease Overseas: Building Cross-Cultural Relationships That Last, was selected to be in the U.S. Library of Congress.

Conflict resolution and stress management are key to global business. Harriet lived at largest holistic health center in N. America as Program Director. Later, she launched her own school of body-mind wellness, the first in Ohio, certifying hundreds of yoga teachers.

Whether training multicultural teams, coaching executives, keynote speaking at conventions, or teaching at universities, Harriet’s presentations are interactive, relevant, and impactful.

Harriet has been interviewed by NBC, ABC, CBS, Crain’s Business, Asahi Shimbun Daily, and more.

Harriet Russell’s Bio

Credentials

• Sole ABC News consultant and interpreter at the G7 Tokyo Economic Summit
• Awarded a U.S. Speaker Grant from the U.S. State Department to speak, coach, and teach in Minsk, Belarus
• International consultant and technical translator for the Spanish National Railway (RENFE) and Mitsubishi Corp.
• First foreigner to receive a Masters in Linguistics from the Japanese campus of Sophia University becoming a TV and news phenomena…all by the time she was 30!
• Member of the National Speakers Association, Ambassador for Virtual Speakers Association International, Presenter at the Global Speakers Summits. 
• Chapter Board Member of the International Coach Federation 

Cross Cultural Education & Experience

• Have been consulting, coaching, training, and keynote speaking in this specialty for 40 years.
• Lived abroad for many years in total immersion (Spain, Japan, and Kyrgyzstan) and well-travelled globally to over 60 countries.
• Speaks several foreign languages fluently and understands the cultural influences with native speakers.
• Host family for Council of International Programs (CIP USA),
• Worked in several large international corporations:
  • Sony Corp., New York City, USA, Manager of Public Relations
  • Nissho Iwai Corp., Tokyo, Japan
  • Seibu Group, Tokyo, Japan
  • Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc., Tokyo, Japan
  • Metallgesellschaft, New York City, USA 
  • Bankers Trust, New York City Wall Street, USA
  • Project with RENFE (Spanish National Railway) & Mitsubishi 
• Cross Cultural Consultant & Trainer
  • For the ABC News team of 50 and Peter Jennings at the G7 1979 Tokyo Economic Summit
  • Hanes Hosiery at the US Dept of Commerce “Boatique America” 
  • Industry Week, Penton Publishing, Ohio
  • International executives with multinational corporations :
    Alcoa, Arconic, BASF. BMW, Bridgestone, Dana Corp., Dell, Dephi Corp., Goodyear, LyondellBassell, Maxion Wheels, Meteor Sealing, Owens-Corning, Praxair, Ridge Tool, Rockwell Collins, etc.  
  • Adjunct Professor of Intercultural Business Communications and Japanese Language at Baldwin Wallace College, Ohio.
  • Adjunct Professor at Tsuda College, Tokyo, Japan. 

Keynote Speaking & Presenting

• American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Convention
• Global Speakers Summits (Auckland, New Zealand and Dublin, Ireland)
• Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association (MNLGA) Convention  
• Devcit Acceleration Mentorship Central Asia Conference (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan)
• Bel-Biz Entrepreneurship Forum Conference (Minsk, Belarus)
• International Coach Federation (ICF) Conventions
• National Speakers Association Protrack Academy and Chapters
• Cameroon Africa Speakers Association conference
• Global Rising International Leadership Program (Global Cleveland), Refugee Response,
• Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) Diversity & Inclusion Convention. 
• The International School, various Universities, Rotary International Clubs, Trade Associations, and more in USA and abroad. 

Awards & Special Recognitions

• Awarded the U.S. Speaker Grant by the State Dept. to present at the Bel-Biz Entrepreneurship Forum, the Belarus Coach University, Credit Union Association, and U.S. Embassy, in Minsk, Belarus on cross cultural communications and small business development.
• Commended by the Fulbright Commission for promoting educational exchanges between countries and cross cultural business endeavors
• Given the Paul Harris Fellow Award from Rotary International “in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world.”

Memberships

• Member Cleveland Council on World Affairs (CCWA) 
• British-American Chamber of Commerce Ohio, Director of Membership Development
• National Speakers Association/ Global Speakers Federation
• Virtual Speakers Association International
• International Coach Federation (ICF) Chapter Board Member (former)
• Rotary Club International (former)

Major Publications on This Subject

1. Doing Business With Ease Overseas: Building Cross-Cultural Relationships That Last Pub. Indie Books International, 2016
2. Cross Cultural Connections for a Better World, The Belarusian Organizational Consulting Magazine December, 2012.
3. Sex, Status, and Second Personal Pronouns, Pub. Sophia Linguistica, 1980.
4. How to Teach English to the Japanese, Pub. Encyclopaedia Britannica 1978.
5. Venture from the Heart: Cross-Cultural Business Tips Series by Country (Soon to be released).

Advanced Degrees

• Bachelors of Science B.S. Sociology, from Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• Universidad de Sevilla, Spain, year abroad
• Masters of Science M.S. Linguistics, Jochi Daigaku Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan
• Nichibei Kaiwa Gakuin, Japanese Language School, Tokyo, Japan

Body-Mind & Holistic Health Expertise

The study of the mind and its effects on our daily lives and actions has given Ms. Russell special insight into the aspect of conflict resolution and stress management in cross-cultural communications and international business.

Harriet Russell was Program Director for eight years at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, MA, the largest residential wellness retreat and program center in the United States, with 15,000 guests annually. She trained thousands of people in methods for stress management, health and wellness using East-West approaches in Personal Development, Yoga, Shiatsu Massage, Homeopathy, Ayurveda, Mindfulness, and Body-Mind Sciences.