Eileen Bramlet '82, MS '84
Just two years after earning her master’s degree in English at Radford University, Eileen Bramlet '82, MS '84 had a hand in helping to build a "household name"-- America Online (AOL).
She is currently the Vice President of Marketing for the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA). She often remembers being the young professional in the budding information technology powerhouse, AOL.
"When I began my employment at AOL, less than 100 people worked there. Back then, the Internet was a network used by educators and the government," says Bramlet.
Bramlet, with her hard work and dedication, moved up through the company. She left AOL 14 years later as Senior Vice President. "While I was there I did a lot of communications work. The creative work came naturally to me, but I also did some minor coding when I first started working at AOL," says Bramlet. In the end, Bramlet had put together a group of 300 people called The Studio@aol. "We were responsible for the development of all creative assets at AOL," says Bramlet.
As current Vice President for Marketing at SIIA, Bramlet is looking to reinvigorate its brand. "A big project I am currently working on is re-branding our association. It’s time for SIIA to get a fresh 'look' and to employ new marketing strategies," says Bramlet. SIIA is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industries, and provides intellectual property protection for corporations.
Looking back at her time at RU, she says the experiences on campus prepared her well for success. "Having the chance to be the resident director of Tyler Hall was a wonderful opportunity for me. I gained management experience that has helped me tremendously to this day," says Bramlet. She also remembers lessons learned inside of the classroom. "Political science professor Dr. Nicholas Pappas inspired me tremendously. He would encourage me to think critically and helped me grow as an individual," says Bramlet.
Bramlet encourages students to always remember to work hard and always strive to prove themselves. "Nothing should be off limits or beneath you. You should always do whatever you can in order to prove to your boss or company that you are worth it," says Bramlet. "If you work your heart out, you can't go wrong."