Shelby Russ

As the President and CEO of AOS Interior Environments, Shelby Russ, Jr. has devoted his career to the built environment through connecting clients with the commercial solutions and expertise necessary to turn their visions into reality. His relationships with the architectural community combined with over 40 years of industry experience has fostered a deep understanding of the critical role space plays in addressing human needs.

Growing up at the knee of a father in the filing and storage industry had made one thing clear to a young entrepreneur: clients needed a better, local solution for achieving their design goals. When he took the helm of AOS in 1996, Shelby made it his mission to elevate the procurement experience. Since then he has diversified the AOS product portfolio to include over 400 furniture lines, established the company as the leading provider of manufactured interior construction in the region and steadily grown annual revenue to over $45 million in 2020. It was also under his leadership that AOS incorporated an in-house warehousing, installation and service division, ensuring a turnkey approach that allows full control over the entire fulfillment process and grew to over 100 full-time design and installation professionals.

His desire to help build a better community extends far beyond the design profession alone. Shelby has spent his career supporting the arts, music and cultural institutions that make the southern Louisiana region one of a kind. AOS has served as the Title Sponsor of the Wednesday at the Square Concert Series, underwritten artists at French Quarter Fest and the Jazz and Heritage Foundation, sponsored exhibits for the Historic New Orleans Collection, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Contemporary Arts Center, to name only a few. Shelby champions the next generation of socially responsible leadership through support of the National Organization of Minority Architects’ Project Pipeline, serving as a Role Model for the Young Leadership Council, and through countless hours directly mentoring young professionals.