About
Courtney Russell has been named Chief Executive Officer of Invest Long Beach, formerly the Long Beach Economic Partnership (LBEP), where he will support efforts to further position Long Beach as a global gateway for investment, trade, and innovation. Russell brings extensive experience representing the City of Long Beach to foreign governments, international delegations, and global business leaders, developed through his previous role as Vice President of Strategic Relationships and Client Relations at Visit Long Beach. In that capacity, he built strong partnerships with the Mayor’s Office, City Management, Economic Development, and the Port of Long Beach.
Russell offers a results-driven perspective shaped by servicing major international conferences, including the Transpacific Maritime Conference, the premier event for the global container shipping and logistics community, as well as large-scale domestic conferences and expos, such as the League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo. He also brings 13 years of hotel general management experience, most recently with Marriott International, where he developed strong financial expertise in budgeting, forecasting, revenue management, and operational management.
As Chief Executive Officer, Russell will focus on attracting new investment, expanding international engagement, and supporting sustainable economic growth within the $1.295 trillion Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim regional economy, as the region prepares to host the 2028 LA Olympic Games. The World Trade Center Long Beach will also fall under Invest Long Beach’s umbrella, with a renewed focus on driving foreign direct investment into Long Beach, further strengthening the city’s global economic reach and competitiveness.
