Mariana DeLobato
Executive Vice President, Chief Delivery Officer, Farm Credit Financial Partners: Age 38
Mariana DeLobato would describe her work as mission-driven.
“Essentially, we are the tech arm that ensures that the institutions that serve the farmers, the producers, the rural communities, can operate efficiently and can scale and remain resilient. We do all the technical services on their behalf,” she said. “I love the mission of Farm Credit Financial Partners.”
In that role, she helps shape enterprise strategy and delivery, making sure the organization invests in the right priorities and has a sound financial model so it can deliver on those priorities.
“We support rural economies and a variety of communities. The better we do, the better they do, and it’s that broader impact that makes the work really, really meaningful. The mission is what keeps me going.”
DeLobato earned a bachelor’s degree at Bay Path University and an MBA at Elms College before joining Amazon Web Services, where she led large-scale cloud transformation programs for major enterprise clients as a senior engagement manager and national team lead (in fact, leading global teams of more than 100 people) before feeling a call to return to Western Mass. to work for Farm Credit Financial Partners (FPI).
“I went to school here, started my career here, and I wanted an opportunity to be a more active contributor to our community,” she explained.
Outside of work, DeLobato teaches at Bay Path, is on the board of Dakin Humane Society, and serves on the distribution committee at the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. She also volunteers at the United Way food pantry, volunteers with One More Dog Rescue, spent years with Link to Libraries supporting childhood literacy, is active with the Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and participated in a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts program that brings together emerging leaders to work on systems-level health equity challenges.
“I’m always looking for ways to go beyond what FPI does because I truly believe in the region, and I’m fortunate to be part of an organization that not only allows us to deliver meaningful outcomes for our partners, but also allows us to show up in our communities and contribute beyond the 9 to 5,” she said.
“It was a very intentional decision to come back and bring my experiences and perspective to this region, and it’s very meaningful to be recognized by the community for making those decisions and participating in such a way. It’s something I take super seriously, and I’m proud of it.”
—Joseph Bednar
