NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 26, 2024 – The American Red Cross in Greater New York is proud to announce that Russ Johnston, an insurance executive with Nationwide, has officially joined the Greater New York Board of Directors.

Johnston brings more than three decades of leadership experience and a commitment to supporting local civic institutions to the Red Cross board. A full list of board members can be found here.

“We are delighted to welcome Russ to our Board of Directors here in Greater New York,” said Celena Sarillo, Interim CEO, American Red Cross in Greater New York. “With his wealth of leadership experience in the insurance sector as well as his track record of serving on boards that support local charitable works throughout the metropolitan region, I am confident that his impact will be felt quickly throughout our humanitarian organization.”

“It is a pleasure to have somebody with this level of experience and professionalism joining our board in Greater New York,” said Jill Coyle, Board Chair for the American Red Cross in Greater New York. “I am tremendously excited to bring Russ into the folds of our organization and look forward to his valuable contributions in furtherance of our mission to provide care and comfort in the face of human suffering.”

ABOUT RUSS JOHNSTON

Russ Johnston serves as President of Nationwide’s Commercial Lines, Excess & Surplus and Specialty businesses. In 2021, he joined Nationwide, the 10^th largest commercial insurer in the United States and the 6^th largest US-domiciled excess and surplus insurer according to AM Best in 2021, after serving as Chief Executive Officer of QBE North America.

His career includes more than 35 years of experience leading insurance organizations, serving in a variety of executive roles including Chief Operating Officer of AIG’s US Commercial Business, President of Casualty Americas, CEO of AIG Environmental, and President of AIG Risk Management. He began his insurance career as a commercial underwriting trainee at Chubb and was also the founder of AIG’s first onshore rent-a-captive facility in Vermont.

Johnston graduated from Syracuse University and is active in both the industry and the community. He serves on the boards of directors of CyberAcuView, Geneva Re, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County, and is the former Board Chair of the National Council on Compensation Insurance.

A headshot of Russ Johnston is available here.

Headquartered in New York City, the American Red Cross in Greater New York serves more than 12 million people in New York City; on Long Island; in Rockland and Westchester counties; at the US Military Academy at West Point and in Greenwich, Conn. We respond to approximately seven emergencies and disasters a day across the region — home fires, floods, building collapses — and more, providing shelter, food, clothing and emotional support at no cost to those in need. Read more about the Red Cross Mission.