Russell has over 15 years of extensive insurance experience across a wide range of industries and sectors and uses his technical skills to research and solve complex insurance solutions for clients. This is because he has insurance in his blood. As a member of the Philpott family, he has been involved in insurance for as long as he can remember and is now part of the third generation of Philpotts to own and operate Staebler Insurance. Russell also spent a number of years at a large Canadian insurance company.

Since earning his BA (Honours) in Economics at York University, he has completed his RIBO (Registered Insurance Broker of Ontario), CAIB (Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker) and CIP (Chartered Insurance Professional) designations.