Tara Montgomery

Tara is driven by optimism about the power of trust and collaboration to solve the world’s most challenging problems. Over the past two decades she has convened and partnered with academic, cultural, scientific and non-profit institutions to lead strategic initiatives to advance public health, education, sustainability and social change.

Following a decade in academic publishing (first as a publisher at Routledge and later as editorial director at Fathom, Columbia University’s online learning startup), Tara joined Consumer Reports, the world’s largest non-profit consumer organisation. As a senior leader focused on health impact, she developed strategies to improve the health and wellbeing of consumers, advocated for transparency and accountability in healthcare, led a team of researchers and journalists, secured millions in grant funding, and launched the public engagement campaign for Choosing Wisely, an influential initiative led by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation to encourage conversations about the appropriate use of healthcare resources. 

In 2017 she founded Civic Health Partners, an independent consulting practice working with purpose-driven organisations to develop trustworthy leadership and public engagement strategies. As a European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) accredited coach at the Senior Practitioner level, Tara integrates executive coaching methods into her practice. She works with leaders to reflect on the intersection of empathy and evidence and supports them through the development of ethical approaches to build public trust.

Tara is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Board of Medical Specialties, where she chairs the Public Member Caucus and serves on the Executive Committee and the Ethics and Professionalism Committee. As an advisory board member, she participates in the ABIM Foundation Building Trust Patient Advisory Committee, the Advocacy Collaborative of the National Patient Advocate Foundation, the Lisa Schwartz Foundation for Truth in Medicine, the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare and the Coalition for Health AI.

Tara holds a BA from King's College London and an Executive Mastère Spécialisé® in Consulting and Coaching for Change from HEC Paris, in partnership with Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. She is an Adjunct Lecturer in Health Communication at Tufts University School of Medicine. She has also participated in the mentoring and coaching internship programme with Médecins Sans Frontières.