The Hunter Ambrose Team
The Hunter Ambrose Leadership Team
Boutique by Design. Built on Partnership.
Hunter Ambrose International was founded by Nicole Barbano and is supported by her husband, Justin Wade Sipe, as Principal of Operations. Together, they’ve built a boutique executive search and leadership consulting firm grounded in trust, strategy, and long-term relationships.
With nearly two decades of experience across healthcare, finance, energy, legal, and private client sectors, Hunter Ambrose has remained intentionally small—delivering big results. Every search is led by senior professionals and supported by a curated national network of subject-matter experts, ensuring personalized service and high-impact leadership placements.
Nicole Barbano
Founder & Principal, Hunter Ambrose International
Nicole leads Hunter Ambrose’s retained executive search and consulting engagements across healthcare, public utilities, finance, and private client markets. Known for her direct, strategy-forward approach, she has coached and placed senior leaders for nearly two decades. Nicole also leads performance and executive coaching through NicoleBarbano.com, helping professionals grow where they are—or navigate what’s next.
She founded Hunter Ambrose in 2006 and today runs the firm alongside her husband and Principal, Justin.
Justin Wade Sipe
Principal, Hunter Ambrose International
Justin oversees firm operations, vendor partnerships, and internal infrastructure at Hunter Ambrose. With a recruitment background in finance and leadership experience in big-box retail and logistics, he specializes in optimizing systems and streamlining processes.
He and Nicole co-lead the firm with shared values, a hands-on approach, and a commitment to delivering boutique service at scale.
Julia Skoblova
Creative Director & Video Editor, Hunter Ambrose International
Based in Warsaw, Poland
Julia leads video production and branded content development at Hunter Ambrose, supporting executive search and consulting through digital storytelling. She specializes in Job Profile Videos, podcast production, and leadership messaging that resonates across platforms.
With a background in information technology and media production, Julia brings a rare blend of technical skill and creative strategy to every project. Though based in Warsaw, she works seamlessly with our U.S.-based team and clients, ensuring consistent quality, fast turnarounds, and a global perspective in how we communicate opportunity and leadership.
“I personally oversee every search at Hunter Ambrose — from first call to final placement. We don’t hand strategy off to junior staff or delegate the most important decisions. That’s how we’ve built a 98% retention rate and long-standing partnerships across 50 states — through founder-led precision, discretion, and results.”
— Nicole Barbano, Founder & Principal
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At Hunter Ambrose, we combine boutique service with expansive reach.
In addition to our core leadership, we work with a curated network of recruitment strategists, executive search consultants, and creator consultants across the United States.
This model allows us to scale seamlessly when needed — engaging sector-specific experts, niche recruiters, and brand strategy partners — while maintaining the personalized, founder-led service that defines our firm.
By leveraging our national network, we ensure every search benefits from broad market intelligence, targeted outreach, and deep candidate relationships built over years of specialized experience.
Hunter Ambrose is proud to operate as a boutique firm with national reach — connecting leadership talent to organizations where they can drive lasting success.
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Hunter Ambrose Int. finds exceptional leaders and builds strategic solutions, driving business growth through bold ideas and strong teams.