Russell has been with Idasa since 2000, first joining the organization in his capacity as an education researcher in the Budget Information Services Programme, where his main focus involved examining education finance issues and the implementation of key sectoral policies targeted at the poor. Most recently, his research interests in education concentrates on the contentious notion of effective schools and the search for variables that could be manipulated to bring about positive change for disadvantaged schools. He is also participated in national and regional debates around the right to basic education.

In 2008 he was appointed Programme Manager of the Economic Governance Programme and is responsible for the overall monitoring of each project within the programme. The Economic Governance Programme has 14 staff members reporting directly to Russell.

Russell holds a Master's Cum Laude in Political Management from the University of Stellenbosch and his academic background is in the field of political behaviour and research methodologies.