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That’s where Barranco’s UVM education helped him the most, managing the human side of business including thinking creatively and communicating effectively.

“You pick up a lot of knowledge from training and on the job experience, but a big part of any business is writing and presenting, negotiating, and learning how to work with people on the other side of the table. The broad liberal arts background at UVM helped prepare me for the person-to-person aspects of business.”

A native of Montpelier, Vt., Barranco saw UVM as an ideal institution to study economics. He began his career as an analyst in municipal bonds at JJ Kenney Drake and equities for Standard and Poor’s Equity Research Group. He joined Ambac in 1999 as first vice president in portfolio risk management.

UVM is still a big part of Barranco’s life. He’s interested in providing opportunities for a new generation of UVM students: in the summer of 2016, together with his wife, Christie McDade '92, he sponsored an internship for a UVM CAS student working in Boston. More recently, they established the Barranco-McDade scholarship for a CAS student. Currently Barranco serves on the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board.

“UVM played a big role in my life, and I’m interested in helping students make that leap from earning a degree to succeeding in the working world,” he said.