Fractional Chief People Officer (CHRO) · Organizational Effectiveness · Enterprise Strategy

Where Inclusive Culture Becomes Competitive Advantage

Luminary Culture Group LLC partners with organizations at the moments that matter most, leadership transition, rapid growth, M&A integration, or a culture reset, to align enterprise strategy, culture, and talent into a measurable engine for performance. Led by DawnMarie Montgomery, Founder & CEO, with two decades of boardroom-tested experience.

Available for Fractional, Interim & Contract Engagements
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20+
Years of Senior Executive Leadership
21%
Community Reach Growth, Thrivent
$1M+
Culture Budgets Stewarded
20%
Deposit Base Growth, TD Bank
2M+
Clients Reached Through Enterprise Strategy
DawnMarie Montgomery with fellow leaders and friends
With Fellow Leaders & Friends, Community in Action
DawnMarie Montgomery embracing a friend and colleague
About DawnMarie & Luminary Culture Group

Culture Is Not a Program. It Is the Strategy.

The name Luminary Culture Group was chosen with intention. A luminary is one who inspires, illuminates, and leads others forward, someone whose presence elevates the room. Culture is our core product and differentiator. Group signals scale, partnership, and the collective power of community.

Ask anyone who has sat across the table from DawnMarie and they will tell you the same thing: she brings the room to life. She is the connector who turns a strategy session into a real conversation, a board meeting into a moment of trust, a keynote into a standing ovation. That same energy shows up everywhere she serves, as a charter member of The Pierians Metro New York chapter, a lifetime sister of Delta Sigma Theta since 1991, a mentor to advisors and students alike, and a board voice for organizations from the Newark Workforce Investment Board to the Violet Torch Foundation. She does not just show up. She lights up the room, and then gets to work.

That is the conviction behind every Luminary Culture Group engagement: culture, leadership, talent, and performance are not separate conversations, they are one conversation, and DawnMarie brings boardroom-tested strategy and genuine human energy to every organization, team, and individual ready to lead with inclusion.

"To partner with organizations, teams, and individuals in transforming inclusive culture from an aspiration into a strategic engine, advancing belonging, leadership excellence, and human connection to deliver measurable, lasting impact."
Boardroom-Tested Strategy Connector at Heart Community-Rooted Measurable Results Academic-Grade Rigor
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DawnMarie Montgomery with fellow leaders at a CFP Board event in Washington, DC
With Fellow Leaders, CFP Board, Washington DC
Meet the Founder

DawnMarie Montgomery

A nationally recognized executive whose career has been defined by one conviction: community relations and engagement are not adjacent to business strategy, they are the strategy. Across more than two decades inside highly regulated financial institutions, DawnMarie has translated community insight into measurable business and social impact.

  • Founder & CEO
    Luminary Culture Group LLC
    Feb 2026 to Present

    Certified Professional Business Coach (CPBC). Advises executive teams, boards and companies on organizational capability, design, and workforce development strategy across six integrated practice areas.

  • Director, Inclusive Culture - Distribution & Operations
    Thrivent ($160B+ not-for-profit financial services)
    2023 to 2026

    Led enterprise inclusive culture strategy across two divisions with a $1M budget. Grew community reach 21%.

  • Director, Lead DE&I, Field Engagement
    UBS Wealth Management USA
    2021 to 2023

    Appointed by the President & CEO to the UBS Americas DE&I Council. Managed a $5M budget; lifted advisor engagement 13%.

  • Vice President, Area Manager
    Lakeland Bank
    2016 to 2020

    Grew branch deposit base 50%, from $80M to $125M. President's Club, 2018.

  • VP, U.S. Diversity Lead & Senior Sales Manager
    TD Bank
    2009 to 2016

    Expanded a $535M deposit base 20%. DiversityInc Top 50 recognition; WOW! Quartile distinction.

Additional experience: JPMorgan Chase, PNC Bank, Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, The Mony Group.

Certified Professional Business Coach (CPBC) M.S., University of Illinois B.S., Xavier University of Louisiana Exec. Ed., Cornell, Tulane & USF, Muma

Boards, Organizations & Community Service

  • The Pierians, Inc., Charter Member, Corresponding Secretary, New York Metropolitan Chapter (2026 to Present)
  • Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Lifetime Member since 1991; National Heritage & Archives Committee (2023 to Present)
  • The Moles National Organization, Board, Former Recording Secretary (2019 to Present)
  • Violet Torch Foundation, Board Member (2014 to 2016, 2019 to Present)
  • LIMRA Diverse Markets Committee (2023 to 2026)
  • Black Wealth Summit, Advisory Board (2022 to 2024)
  • BergenLEADS, Class of 2020 (2019 to 2020)
  • New Jersey Institute of Technology, College of Science & Liberal Arts Board (2011 to 2017)
  • Newark Workforce Investment Board, Former Secretary (2011 to 2016)
  • Volunteering: Alzheimer's Assoc., Food Insecurity Food Distribution Slater Center, Eva's Community Kitchen/Eva's Village, March of Dimes Baby Bundle, Youth Literacy Initiative, Community Impact Projects, College Workshops, American Cancer Society, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Emergency Preparedness Workshops, Scholarship Brunch, Human Rights Commission, Scholarship College Workshops, Financial Literacy Workshops, Support Various Community Initiatives, Partnerships and Scholars, Feeding Westchester, Habitat for Humanity, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Wounded Warriors, United Way, The Dragonfly Project, etc.
What Guides Us

Core Values

Five commitments that shape every engagement, every conversation, every room.

Belonging as the Standard

Inclusion is not a program. It is the foundation of everything we build together.

Courageous Leadership

We challenge comfort zones, speak truth, and model the change we advocate.

Human Connection First

Relationships are the strategy. Every engagement starts with people.

Insight to Impact

We translate data, culture, and lived experience into results you can measure.

Partnership, Not Prescription

We co-create with you. Your context shapes every solution we deliver.

"Meaningful impact begins with listening, is sustained by partnership, and is ultimately measured by the doors we open for those who follow."

DAWNMARIE MONTGOMERY, FOUNDER
What We Deliver

Service Offerings

Six integrated practice areas, led by organizational effectiveness and enterprise strategy, every engagement customized to your context, scale, and goals.

02

Executive Coaching & Leadership Advisory

One-on-one and cohort coaching for executives, emerging leaders, and high-potential professionals, delivered by a Certified Professional Business Coach (CPBC).

  • 3, 6, and 12-month coaching programs
  • Leadership presence & influence coaching
  • Career acceleration & transition coaching
  • Board readiness & executive positioning
03

Talent & Capability Development

Workshop-based and curriculum-driven programs that build capability, internal mobility, and career pathways for teams and organizations.

  • Inclusive leadership workshops
  • Capability-based career frameworks & internal mobility design
  • Employee & advisor resource group strategy & governance
  • Custom learning & development curricula
04

Culture & Inclusion Strategy

Enterprise-level consulting for organizations ready to transform inclusive culture into a measurable driver of performance.

  • Inclusive culture audits & assessments
  • Culture transformation roadmaps
  • DEI & belonging strategy development
  • Policy & inclusive practice frameworks
05

Speaking & Thought Leadership

Keynotes, panels, and facilitated conversations for conferences, corporate events, and community gatherings.

  • Keynote speaking
  • Conference panels & moderation
  • Corporate town halls & summits
  • Podcast & media appearances
06

Consulting, Adjunct Faculty & Academic Partnerships

Enterprise consulting paired with academic influence at colleges, universities, and professional schools.

  • Fractional & project-based consulting
  • Adjunct instruction & guest lecturing
  • Executive-in-residence programs
  • Mentorship & research collaboration
Signature Speaking Topics

Speaking & Thought Leadership

A nationally recognized voice on inclusive culture, leadership, and belonging, available for keynotes, panels, and executive-in-residence engagements.

DawnMarie Montgomery speaking on stage at BDC'24
DawnMarie Montgomery presenting to a group
DawnMarie Montgomery engaging a crowd at the Women's BDC Connect Lunch

Where Inclusive Culture Becomes Competitive Advantage

The business case for belonging, with real metrics and a strategic roadmap for leaders ready to act.

Leading in Full Color

How inclusive leadership transforms team performance, talent retention, and organizational agility.

Community as Strategy

Why the most successful organizations invest in the communities they serve, and how to build that into your business model.

The Power of Belonging

Creating psychological safety and authentic inclusion in teams at every level.

From the Boardroom to the Neighborhood

A career story connecting institutional power with community need.

Coaching for Impact

What executive coaching unlocks in leaders ready to lead inclusively and leave a legacy.

Book DawnMarie to Speak
Who We Serve

Organizations & Individuals

Organizations

  • Financial Services & Banking
  • Healthcare & Life Sciences
  • Corporations (Fortune 500 & Mid-Market)
  • Nonprofits & Social Impact
  • Higher Education Institutions
  • Government & Public Sector

Individuals

  • Senior executives leading culture change
  • Emerging leaders in first leadership roles
  • High-potential professionals building influence
  • Career transitioners re-entering leadership
Community & Partnerships

Impact Beyond the Boardroom

"Community relations and engagement are not adjacent to business strategy, they are the strategy." We offer select pro bono and reduced-fee engagements for mission-aligned nonprofit and community organizations.

Academic Partnerships

Bringing Boardroom Experience to the Classroom

DawnMarie is available as adjunct professor, guest lecturer, and executive-in-residence in Organizational Behavior, Leadership, Workplace culture, people, belonging, Community & Corporate Engagement, and Talent Management.

A

Adjunct Instruction

Organizational behavior, leadership, and DEI coursework.

G

Guest Lecturing

Executive-in-residence programs and guest sessions.

M

Mentorship

Partnering with university career centers.

R

Research

Collaboration on inclusive culture and performance.

Where Inclusive Culture Becomes Competitive Advantage

Let's Connect

Ready to Illuminate Your Culture?

Luminary Culture Group LLC partners with organizations, teams, and individuals to align enterprise strategy, culture, and talent into lasting, measurable competitive advantage. Reach out for organizational strategy, coaching, talent development, speaking, or academic partnerships.

Location Metro New York, New Jersey

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