Vivian Altman ’77

Vivian Altman is an investment banker in public finance. She is a Managing Director and Head of Public Finance at Janney Montgomery Scott, where she is responsible for overseeing the firm’s banking and strategic planning, and coordinating execution with underwriting and sales.

She is one of two women running public finance departments on Wall Street. Her background includes ownership of her own financial advisory firm, serving clients including state and local governments and authorities. Nominated by Governor Whitman, Vivian served on the Board of the NJ Educational Facilities Authority from 1993-2010, which she chaired for the final 10 years under 6 governors. She also was a member of the NJ Transportation Trust Fund Authority. She is Co-President of Northeast Women in Public Finance and was named a “Trailblazing Woman in Public Finance” by The Bond Buyer in 2011. Ms. Altman serves on the FINRA Fixed Income Committee which advises and makes recommendations to FINRA about regulatory initiatives, rules, policies and public policy issues involving debt securities, including municipal securities and municipal advisory activity. She also is a member of the SIFMA Municipal Securities Committee Leadership Group which is composed of 15 municipal department heads across the industry that convene to inform SIFMA’s legislative, regulatory and market practice advocacy on behalf of our broker dealer members, and guides the full Committee. 


Vivian earned an M.A. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Economics from Barnard College.


“Hunter was the most important and seminal time in my life. The diversity of the student body was enormously significant to me, forming an openness and acceptance as an adult based on my experiences with my classmates. Spending my adolescence in an environment with amazingly smart girls provided me in each classroom with role models and mentors. I am who I am is a result of my five years at Hunter.“