Leslie Russo has been working in fashion and the arts since her first job at a Stride Rite at age 13. Back then, her grandfather would drive her to the mall and sit on a bench near the store, waiting for her to finish her shift. Today, Russo serves as the president of fashion events and properties for IMG, one of the largest names in sports, events, and talent management. After getting her start at Interview magazine right out of college as a promotion coordinator, Russo transitioned between jobs in the world of fashion, working at Details, Glamour, W magazine and across Condé Nast, where she intertwined one of her great loves, film, into her roles by sinking her teeth into producing projects like “Reel Moments,” a film series that has given the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Zoe Saldaña their directorial debuts. 

It was through her production work that she arrived at her current role at IMG, one she’s held since 2015. Russo first approached the job opening as a true producer, connecting and recommending others in the industry for the job, until it dawned on her that this could be the…