Ms. Russell is an accomplished legal executive with more than 25 years of diverse experience across the global financial services and technology sectors. She is responsible for legal, risk, compliance, government and regulatory relations, corporate governance, consumer privacy and ESG functions for TransUnion and its subsidiaries around the world. Prior to joining the Company in 2018, Ms. Russell was a partner at the law firm of Buckley, LLP, where she led the firm’s Financial Institutions Regulation, Supervision and FinTech practices. Previously, she served as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at Fifth Third Bank. Prior to that, she served as Managing Director and Global Head of Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs at Bank of New York Mellon, and as Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel at Bank of America. She also spent eight years at Skadden in Washington, D.C. and London focused on financial services, corporate finance, and mergers and acquisitions.

Ms. Russell earned her B.A. from the College of William & Mary and her J.D. with honors from American University’s Washington College of Law, where she received the Outstanding Graduate Award. Ms. Russell serves on the board of directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business organization, representing the interests of over three million businesses and organizations. She is also on the boards of Illinois Legal Aid Online and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs where she chairs the board’s Nominating and Governance Committee.

The William H. Avery Award was established by the Legal Aid Bureau, now Legal Aid Society, in 1985 in memory of William H. Avery, former partner of Sidley Austin LLP, to recognize and encourage outstanding leadership in the provision of legal aid to those persons unable to afford or retain an attorney.

William H. Avery served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of both the Legal Aid Society and of Metropolitan Family Services, and chair of the Legal Services Committee of the Chicago Bar Association. Among Avery’s many accomplishments, he authored the “Avery Plan”, a Chicago Bar Association dues check-off program for legal services support, which is still in effect.

Originally given only to volunteers, donors, and staff, recognition through the award has since expanded outside the LAS community to honor those who have made an outstanding contribution to the legal community and to equal justice.

The Steven R. Gilford Pro Bono Award honors law firms, corporations, or attorneys who display a strong commitment to the fundamental principles of equal protection and equal justice in the community through outstanding pro bono service. Mr. Gilford was a dedicated Board member, donor and advocate of Metropolitan Family Services and the Legal Aid Society for 24 years until his passing in 2023.

Mr. Gilford was a strong trial and appellate litigation attorney who spent much of his career at major law firms, and he was a founding member of the Chicago office of Proskauer Rose LLP. Mr. Gilford had a long track record of pro bono support and leadership and served as a member of Metropolitan’s Board of Directors and Chair of its Strategic Issues Committee, and also served as Chair of the Legal Aid Society Board of Directors.