In Their Own Words – Eleanor Meltzer
Risk Manager for EA Customer Experience, talks through her work creating a safe environment for players.
At Electronic Arts, everything we do is meant to Inspire the World to Play. Approximately 8,800 employees bring the spirit of play to EA every day, living our Purpose & Beliefs – Creativity, Pioneering, Passion, Determination, Learning and Teamwork – to deliver powerful and immersive experiences to millions of players around the word. To celebrate employees who embody these values in their work, EA recently launched our first annual Purpose & Beliefs Awards.
Meet Eleanor Meltzer, Risk Manager for EA Customer Experience, who was recognized with the Inspire the World to Play Award for her work protecting the company and creating a safe environment for players.
What is your role at EA?
I’m part of a team responsible for creating a safe environment for players and employees by protecting against social engineering fraud. Social engineering can take many forms, negatively impacting the player experience by exposing content to theft and potentially giving fraudsters an unfair advantage in-game. The most fascinating part of my job is pinpointing areas of vulnerability and working with teams across EA to determine the best course of action to keep our players safe, delighted and in the game!
Eleanor walks on stage to receive her Inspire the World to Play Award
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Every day, I have the opportunity to think through risk-management challenges from a global perspective. After all, EA is a global community with millions of players worldwide. My undergraduate degree is in international relations and political science, and I’ve participated in several free-trade negotiations as a trademark expert, so our daily engagement around cultural sensitivities, localization efforts and player questions is tremendously energizing.
We have a huge community of players and each day is an opportunity to learn something new, which is exciting!
What is your favorite game of all time?
I love the Mass Effect series. Mass Effect offers a huge open world to explore and just enjoy yourself. Whether you want to play the single-player campaign or multiplayer, the game lends itself to both beautifully, and I like that.
I even play with my husband, although he plays the “insanity” difficulty level and I play “narrative.” It’s wonderful having a game that everyone can enjoy – no matter their skill level.
What are your earliest memories of gaming?
Before joining EA, I had some experience with games, but I wouldn’t have called myself a gamer. I grew up without a TV or a games console, so for me, joining the company was an opportunity to learn about the world of games while applying my expertise in risk management in new ways.
In your mind, what does it mean to Inspire the World to Play?
For me, the way I live EA’s purpose is by creating a safe environment for our players, while equipping customer experience representatives with the tools and resources to deliver the best service possible. We’re not law enforcement. Our role is to look at the landscape and determine how best to insulate our players and employees from social engineering fraud. In so doing, we inspire our players in a manner that is fun and engaging, while establishing trust and strong relationships.
What was your experience being recognized as a recipient of the Inspire the World to Play Award?
It was an amazing experience to be recognized at our Global Town Hall and attend a luncheon with EA’s executives, who really made the awards special for us. The fact that EA allowed me the opportunity to give a generous donation to the nonprofit of my choice was one of the nicest pieces of recognition I could have received. For my nonprofit, I chose Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas, an impactful organization that provides pro-bono legal services to low-income individuals who otherwise can’t afford counsel.
Plus, my likeness will be used as one of the training coaches in FIFA 18 which I think is totally fun! Naturally, I will be getting a copy for myself and telling all my friends to play as well.
Everyone has the opportunity to make an impact from their first day, and you don’t have to prove yourself to be considered part of the EA family.
What does it mean to you to be recognized?
Since I only started at EA in February 2016, the fact my colleagues nominated someone with a young tenure is humbling because it shows that everyone at EA is a vital part of the team, regardless of how long they have been with the company. Everyone has the opportunity to make an impact from their first day, and you don’t have to prove yourself to be considered part of the EA family. As a result of this, we can move quicker as a company because everyone feels empowered to make a difference for our players.
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