College of Business hosts alum Charlie Cooper as part of Executive in Residence Speaker series

Charlie Cooper, Founder & CEO of Americom Marketing, spoke to students on Sept. 28 as part of the college’s Executive in Residence Speaker Series. The series functions to enrich LU students’ learning experience by connecting them with business leaders whose roots started at the College of Business.

Cooper graduated from Lamar University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. He remembers his time as a student fondly and finds it thrilling to be able to give back to current students, “All of my experiences at Lamar University prepared me for the successes I have seen in my career,” Cooper said. 

Cooper has over 20 years of experience in marketing, sales, media, and company ownership. His companies have received both regional and national awards. One most notable is AmeriCommerce, an ecommerce software platform, which won the 2010 CODiE Award for the Best eCommerce Solution and was later acquired by Capital One in 2014. Another company, Americom Marketing, serves a diverse group of industries including many local companies. 

During his presentation, Cooper shared stories from his time studying at LU highlighting how the College of Business readied him for the real world. He credits many experiences at the university for his success, including his relationships with beloved professors and class assignments that paid off.

“For one class we worked with a local business on a project. At the end, the company was so impressed with my work they offered me a job right on the spot,” he said.

Cooper has hired many Cardinals over the years and, as a business owner himself, starting careers is just another way that he gives back to LU students and graduates.