Atlanta-based entrepreneur, Donata Russell Ross has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to the hospitality industry with her induction into the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Hospitality Hall of Fame. As CEO of Concessions International, LLC, a minority-owned company known for providing food and beverage services in airports, she has demonstrated remarkable resilience through various challenges, including the aftermath of 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Russell Ross has an impressive background, holding a degree from the Wharton School of Business and overseeing a company that generates over $100 million in annual revenue with a workforce of 1,200 employees. Her family’s legacy, particularly that of her father, Herman J. Russell, highlights their ongoing commitment to enhancing Atlanta’s status as a business center through initiatives like Russell CARES, which she also leads.
“After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Economics and Marketing degree, I joined corporate America to apply what I was taught. Little did I know I would soon be applying what learned to benefit our family business. After gaining some practical experience, I began my career in the airport concessions industry in 1984. I joined Concessions International, LLC (CI), the family business my late father, Herman J. Russell, Sr., founded five years earlier in 1979,” explains Ross. “He realized the industry’s potential and asked me to join the team and learn the business. Thirty-eight years later, after serving in various positions, I am still here! I’m honored to be serving as the company’s CEO where I am responsible for the development and actualization of the company’s vision, mission, and overall strategic direction.”
With her 40-plus years of experience at CI, which specializes in airport food and beverage concessions at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the most traveled in the world, and other airports throughout the U.S., Ross has solidified the company’s reputation as one of the best in the industry. She is also president of the Herman J. Russell Foundation and serves on the board of H.J. Russell Company, Concessions International, Early Learning Property Management and the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs, also known as RICE. Ross has been an integral player in ensuring that her family-oriented work environment encourages and builds character in addition to unparalleled excellence in performance.
Ross’ recognition in the Hall of Fame not only honors her personal achievements but also emphasizes the importance of diversity and leadership within the hospitality sector. Russell Ross expressed her gratitude for the honor, reflecting on the significance of being part of a group dedicated to excellence in the industry.
In addition to this latest recognition, on October 10, 2024, the Council for Quality Growth honored the legacy of Herman J. Russell Sr. and the Russell Family with its 35th annual Four Pillar Tribute. This honor marks the first time in the history of the Four Pillar Tribute that the living legacy of a family was celebrated, recognizing the lasting impact of family patriarch Herman J Russell and the ongoing contributions of his daughter, along with her brothers H. Jerome Russell, and Michael Russell Sr.
In a videotaped interview with the Atlanta History Center, Ross recalls her childhood growing up in Atlanta as the daughter of businessman Herman Russell. She talks about the affirmative action programs that Maynard Jackson created and the impact that it had on Atlanta’s black community, minority businesses, and more specifically her father’s construction company.
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