Eric Barba

About Eric Barba

Education Ecosystem Builder | Platform & Media Architect | Enterprise TransformationSVP & General Manager with full P&L accountability, leading Sallie’s transformation from a single-product financial services company into a diversified education platform and media ecosystem. Architect of the company’s expansion beyond lending, building new growth engines across publishing, marketplaces, and media. Led the enterprise rebrand to Sallie, scaled Sallie.com into a category-defining education publisher, and launched Backpack Media, an education-focused media network connecting brands to a 17M+ first-party parent and student audience. My focus is building durable platforms that expand engagement across the entire education journey. From planning for college through post-graduation, unlocking new revenue models while increasing customer lifetime value and expanding total addressable market. Known for building new businesses inside complex organizations, integrating acquisitions, assembling high-performing teams, and translating growth strategy into structural enterprise value.

Experience

1. SVP & Gm Education Services

   Sallie Mae

   Jun 2025 — Present · Newark, DE, US

   Enterprise P&L leader overseeing a $30M+ revenue portfolio and a 65+person organization spanning media, brand, publishing, partnerships, product, analytics, marketing, and operations.Mandate expanded to unify audience, brand, and monetization strategy as the company diversifies beyond its core lending business- Lead enterprise brand strategy and oversee the Brand organization, aligning market positioning with platform expansion- Direct the operating model for Sallie.com and the company’s domain, publishing, and audience businesses- Scale proprietary distribution to reach ~2/3 of U.S. college-bound seniors nationwide- Build and commercialize large-scale first-party data assets across students and families- Launch and scale national scholarship and enrollment marketplaces- Stand up the industry’s first integrated Education Media Network; combining audience, content, data, and marketplace infrastructure into a unified commercial platform

Education

• Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics at University of Delaware

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Business Management & Management Information Systems

  2004 — 2008

• Harvard University

  Master’s Degree, Business Management

  2014 — 2016

Skills

• Marketing
• Leadership
• SEO
• Strategy
• Web Analytics
• Forecasting
• Strategic Planning
• Online Marketing
• Management
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Marketing Strategy
• Project Management
• Digital Marketing
• Segmentation
• Social Media
• Marketing Management