Alyson Kittler
Tampa
Summary
I believe startups grow best when people and processes grow together. My experience spans operations, executive support, culture, and community by scaling a fully remote company.
Along the way, I’ve led initiatives in employer branding, new-hire onboarding, company-wide retreats, IT support, remote enablement, and leadership team scheduling. I focus on creating environments where people can thrive and the business can scale sustainably.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Operations Manager + Executive Assistant
Retail Zipline
04.2019 - 08.2025
- Hire #20 at a Saas startup, helping to scale fully remote company to Series B and 130 employees.
- Supported two co-founders and the executive leadership team by juggling complex calendars, coordinating travel, and streamlining scheduling logistics (including Board of Directors Meetings)
- Developed guidelines for internal comms and collaboration, from meeting etiquette/hygiene, to async communication behaviors and ensuring clarity and consistency.
- Created and maintained a rhythm of business timeline to align leadership and company-wide priorities, ensuring key milestones and events were planned and communicated in advance.
- Established structured cadences for leadership meetings, all-hands, and company updates, giving the organization clarity and predictability.
- Scaled operations and people programs from the ground up, creating processes, procedures, and best practices to support rapid growth.
- Managed new-hire onboarding end-to-end, creating a welcoming and consistent experience for distributed team members.
- Built and documented HR policies before a formal HR function existed, including onboarding, compliance foundations, laptop provisioning, tooling access and offboarding.
- Designed and implemented remote-first tooling and workflows, ensuring a seamless and connected experience across our distributed company.
- Spearheaded the community + connection strategy earning recognition as a leader in remote-first culture.
- Developed and launched company-wide perks to foster engagement and wellbeing.
- Planned and executed annual company retreats, department meet-ups, and other events to strengthen culture, alignment, and collaboration.
- Shaped employer branding initiatives, enhancing talent attraction and retention in a competitive startup/remote market.
- Provided IT support across the company.
Executive Assistant
Grove Medical
07.2015 - 03.2019
- Sole assistant to 5 executives including President, CEO, CFO and EVP for medial supply distributor specializing in home health and long term care facilities.
- Manage and coordinate meetings, calendars, and schedules for leadership and management team, as well as assist 15 remote Sales Managers.
- Facilitate the registration process fo over 30 annual trade shows in 6 different states, including shipping booth and marketing supplies
- Book all travel, including flight, hotel and rental car arrangements; customer dinner reservations, etc.
- Responsible for the entire planning, organization and supervision of annual 5 day off-site Sales Meeting including drafting and managing the event budget; venue site visits and contract negotiations; arranging hotel, golf tournament, team building activities, meals, etc.; facilitating a 40 table round-robin format Supplier Fair; designing all marketing materials, including handout packets, name badges, giveaways, and welcome bags; creating daily agendas and presentations; review and approve final event bill and negotiate discrepancies.
- Coordinate all company events, including executive retreats and company cookouts; manage all holiday functions, including catering; designing holiday cards and gifts; maintain recipient lists.
- Provide additional administrative functions such as taking accurate meeting minutes; renewing business memberships and annual charity sponsorships; registering for golf tournaments; ordering office supplies; assisting with bid proposals; creating, printing and binding presentations; personal errands, etc.
Executive Assistant
Vizient Southeast (Formerly VHA Southeast)
06.2007 - 06.2015
- Provide administrative support to 5 executives including V.P. of Finance and Business Development, VP of Supply Chain Solutions, and VP of Pharmacy Services for healthcare GPO
- Create, prepare and edit correspondence, reports, memorandums and presentations
- First point of contact for all inquiries and information in the Finance and Business Development office
- Coordinate and organize major off-site conferences with over 200 hospital executive attendees and 30 suppliers, as well as quarterly council meetings for multiple hospital disciplines
- Secure hotel and meeting spaces, design hotel banquet event orders, track RSVP’s, communicate with presenters and vendors and organize meeting materials
- Book travel reservations, including flights, hotels, and car rentals for staff and speakers
- Maintain all contacts, distribution lists, listservs, and forum subscriptions for a multitude of hospital disciplines including CFO’s, Pharmacy & Lab Directors and more
- Assist with departmental budgets and provide supportive materials for staff
- Manage electronic calendars and appointment schedules with high-level hospital executives and others
- Resolve customer inquiries concerning departmental initiatives, policies, and activities
Executive Assistant
Cytel, Inc.
04.2005 - 04.2007
- Administrative support for the President, CEO, CFO, Chief Technology Officer, Vice President of Sales, and President of Pharmaceutical Research Division for statistical software company
- Facilitated domestic and international travel arrangements for 10 executives on a daily basis, prepared and coordinated travel documents
- Oversaw corporate and personal calendars for multiple executives
- Arranged on-site and off-site meetings, planned yearly administrative retreat and the annual holiday party
- Managed corporate and personal calendars, arranged meeting and luncheons
- Ordered and maintained office supplies, books, journals, shipping supplies and other requested materials
- Completed bank deposits, created and approved client invoices, processed staff expense reports
- Maintained updated and accurate contact, phone and email lists, including database information
Executive Assistant
Cataldo Ambulance Service
10.2002 - 04.2005
- Support to President, CFO and V.P. for the largest private ambulance company in Greater Boston
- Handled financial, legal and other confidential materials including professional letters and memos
- Made travel arrangements and registered staff for meetings and conferences
- Served as the administrator for company 401K/Profit Sharing plan
- Prepared bid contracts and proposals
- Created monthly newsletter going to over 325 employees
- Coordinated charity golf tournament and other events including Division Open Houses
- Worked with designer to facilitate website content updates
- Prepared materials for meetings and presentations
Financial Development Associate
American Red Cross
03.2001 - 10.2002
- Worked with the Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations to cultivate donor relationships
- Met with current and prospective donors to educate them on programs and fundraising efforts
- Solicited prospective donor and recognized current donors through multiple media outlets
- Assisted in the organization and implementation of social events and fundraisers
- Wrote proposals and grants while independently securing in-kind donations of items and products
- Supervised and trained seasonal temporary help
Communications Associate
American Cancer Society
09.2000 - 03.2001
- Wrote, edited and distributed press releases, and public service announcements to over 200 radio stations, newspapers and other publications in Greater Boston
- Assembled press/media kits for special events, wrote and designed a bi-weekly newsletter
- Created and maintained visual displays for special events and office staff
- Answered media calls, attended fundraising events to meet and instruct media, and updated media guidebooks
- Served as volunteer coordinator and managed volunteer opportunities on website
Education
B.A. - History
Wheaton College
Norton, MA01.2000
Skills
- Microsoft 365, Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint
- G-Suite: Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides (full company administrator)
- Slack (full administrator)
- Basecamp (full administrator)
- Apple OS PC
- Expensify
- Brex
- Asana
- Jira
Timeline
Operations Manager + Executive Assistant
Retail Zipline
04.2019 - 08.2025
Executive Assistant
Grove Medical
07.2015 - 03.2019
Executive Assistant
Vizient Southeast (Formerly VHA Southeast)
06.2007 - 06.2015
Executive Assistant
Cytel, Inc.
04.2005 - 04.2007
Executive Assistant
Cataldo Ambulance Service
10.2002 - 04.2005
Financial Development Associate
American Red Cross
03.2001 - 10.2002
Communications Associate
American Cancer Society
09.2000 - 03.2001
B.A. - History
Wheaton College
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