JMU Federal Dukes Spotlight: Mike Battle
Profile by Brenden Hogan, JMU Class of 2021 Marketing and Supply Chain
Mike Battle is a 1981 and 1983 James Madison University graduate and the current President and CEO of BRMi, an information technology and advisory services firm that supports both government and commercial markets. He describes himself as being both the “cheerleader and coach” of his employees, helping each and every person achieve their passion. His empowering management style at BRMi is rooted in his time at JMU and his career to today.
In 1977, Mike was directly recruited by Ronald E. Carrier to play football at James Madison University to help transform the Division III program into a competitive Division I AA team. Ron Carrier knew that Mike had various offers to play for other schools but was determined to recruit Mike to help build this new program. Mike accepted the challenge. Throughout his time at JMU he was a 4-year starter and helped change the image of James Madison Athletics. Due to his dedication to the JMU football program, Ron Carrier returned the favor for Mike and introduced him to a Senior Vice President at IBM where he began his career.
During his time at IBM Mike initially worked in communications, but after speaking to his managers was reassigned to working in Marketing and Business Development. At IBM, Mike saw what good leaders are made of. It helped shape his view on how an organization should be run: one that values respect for the individual and organization, is helpful to its employees and allows them to take on new challenges.
After working at IBM for 10-years, Mike was recruited by Computer Services Corp (CSC) to move back from Seattle to the DMV area where he worked in commercial outsourcing and supply chain consulting. After a stint in commercial aerospace at Allied Signal, Mike then transitioned into what he describes as the “.com Era” of his career working for AppNet and its successor, Commerce One. In this stage of his career, Mike began to truly understand about innovation: how one comes up with a unique and improved solution to a traditional way of doing something.
The innovative experience Mike gained through the “.com Era” and the federal government experience he gained through High Performance Technologies Inc. equipped Mike with the knowledge to build his own services company that supports government challenges. In 2004 Mike incorporated BRMi where he wanted to focus on technology strategy and transformational execution of missions in the Homeland Security, financial services and health sectors. He notes that his biggest takeaway of being the CEO of his own company is “being the soul of that organization, being passionate, steady and showing compassion” for not only his organization but his people that make the company great. This leadership approach led to Mike being selected as an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award recipient in 2016.
The commitment that Ronald Carrier and James Madison University made to Mike when he was a Freshman in college showed him what teamwork meant and what it meant to be around people who were not like you. These skills allow him to be a compassionate, empowering leader of his company and his community. His love for JMU extended after graduation as he served on the College of Business Executive Advisory Council and was appointed to Board of Visitors where he has functioned as athletics committee chair and is finishing his final second and final term. He has worked passionately with the administration to help steward programs that create career opportunities for student athletes who are often unavailable to get professional experience since their sport is a full-time job for them at school. The love JMU showed Mike was a heavy contributor to the way in which he leads today. Through compassion and commitment, Mike is a leader who exemplifies all the great qualities found in JMU alumni.
Mike Battle, Madison College Football
