Our Managing Partners and Senior Consultants hold Ph.D degrees in Organizational Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Organizational Behavior, and Ethnography (as well as graduate degrees in Law and Evaluation Science). For decades we have worked with investors, boards, and C-suite leaders to build high performing, thriving organizations. We have lived and worked in five countries on four continents, and undertaken research in 22 countries on six continents. Today we are headquartered in Avila Beach, California but our clients and team members span the globe, increasingly operating across borders with virtual teams. We bring a diverse, multi-lens, international perspective to our work, while striving to understand the culture and context in which our clients, partners, and team members live and work. What we stand for is excellence in all we do, creating unimaginable possibility, having the courage to challenge and shine, and the freedom to thrive while making a difference.

dr. ANGELA MOUTON

MANAGING PARTNER

PH.D (Org psych), J.D, BS (zoo/ecol)

I hold a Ph.D in Organizational Psychology, a Law degree specializing in Environmental Law, and a B.S in Zoology and Ecology. After almost a decade practicing as an Attorney at multinational law firms, I moved into Management Consulting in 2010. I specialize in human capital due diligence, executive assessments, board effectiveness, executive search, and organizational development. Prior to Montijo Mouton Consulting, I was a Management Consultant at ghSmart and AlixPartners, Attorney at Hogan Lovells, Baker & McKenzie, and Freshfields, and Chief People Officer in corporate environments.

Notable human capital clients have included CPPIB, AlixPartners, Igneo Infrastructure Partners, VSS, Denny’s, PlayStation, Dave & Buster’s, Teachable, Workboard, Argyle, and many international law firms, SMEs and startups worldwide.

Core Values: Possibility, Peak Performance, and Freedom.

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DR. MONICA MONTIJO

MANAGING PARTNER

Ph.D (dev psych), M.A. (eval), B.A. (HARVARD)

I graduated with my BA in Psychology from Harvard University and am a proud two-time Ivy League Harvard softball champion. After graduating, I taught in K-12 public schools and coached basketball and softball at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels. I earned my Master’s in Psychology and Evaluation Science and Ph.D in Positive Developmental Psychology from Claremont Graduate University. Today I specialize in human capital consulting at Montijo Mouton Consulting, working with a variety of business and education clients around the world.

My areas of specialization include self mastery, team dynamics, motivation and engagement, relationships, Millennial/ Gen Z development, and well-being.

Core Values: Family, Love, and Excellence.

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Dr. sheilesha willis

SENIOR consultant

Ph.d (org behavior), certified exec coach

I hold a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Claremont Graduate University and am a Certified Executive Coach. As a human capital practitioner, I have spent the last 15 years (a) scaling talent development as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and (b) leading large organizational transformations during high-growth periods at various technology and Fortune 500 companies, including AECOM, Robinhood, and Aurora Solar. 

My expertise includes coaching executives on how to build high performing cultures by guiding them through the process of identifying and leveraging their individual strengths and growth areas, building high-performance teams, and advancing access, inclusion, and learning across their organizations. I leverage human-centered, strengths-based leadership development approaches to unlock excellence in individuals and teams. Other areas of focus include change management, strategic workforce planning, People operations, M&A, and global well-being and social impact programs.

 Core Values: Curiosity, Courage, and Compassion.

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Dr. heather buffington anderson

SENIOR consultant

Ph.d (ethnomusicology), b.a. (music perf)

I hold a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Music with an American History minor from the University of Northern Colorado. My human capital expertise includes qualitative research/ethnography, board effectiveness, corporate governance, workforce development, and executive education.

I began my career as a professor at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), where I integrated workforce competencies into academic programs and established internships to prepare students for the workforce. More recently, I served as Senior Director of Inclusive Governance Initiatives at Santa Clara University, leading the Black Corporate Board Readiness program. In this role, I partnered with executives and senior leaders to help them navigate career transitions, develop governance acumen, and achieve meaningful professional goals. In addition, I developed programming focused on board effectiveness and inclusive governance practices. Notable boards and organizations with whom I partnered include Bolster, Gaingels, Illumyn, and Nasdaq. I combine my expertise in board effectiveness, executive development, and governance to help investors, organizations, and leaders unlock potential and achieve their most aspirational goals.

Core Values: Curiosity, Excellence, and Partnership.

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Dr. Alyssa birnbaum

principal consultant

Ph.D (org psych), B.A. (upenn)

I hold a Ph.D degree in Positive Organizational Psychology from Claremont Graduate University and BA in English and Consumer Psychology from UPenn.

As a TEDx speaker and practitioner-researcher who is passionate about employee wellbeing, I specialize in cultivating high-quality work connections, fostering work engagement, mitigating burnout, supporting healthy work-life balance, and optimizing remote/hybrid work environments.

My expertise lies in translating employee feedback into actionable insights through advanced survey design, mixed-methods research, and compelling data visualization. I have helped leaders across diverse industries build more resilient and thriving organizations.

Core Values: Compassion, Trust, and Continuous Growth.

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CHRISTINE KEELIN

principal consultant

mba, B.a. (biol. anthropology)

I graduated from Pitzer College with a BA in Biological Anthropology and an MBA from the Drucker School of Management, Claremont Graduate University. After working for over 15 years helping run my family’s foods business, MPK Foods, and over 6 years of teaching community college business courses, I decided to return to Claremont Graduate University to broaden my professional experience and endeavors by pursuing a Ph.D. in Positive Organizational Psychology. In my time at CGU, I’ve developed a passion for evaluation with a focus on engaging in projects and work that provide meaningful outcomes for organizations and their stakeholders.

My current research interests include positive relationships, employee energy, burnout, responsible assessment, and culturally responsive evaluation.

Core Values: Integrity, Compassion, and Humility.

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dr. jacqui Baumgardt

editor in chief

PH.D (Education Management)

I hold a Ph.D in Education Management from UNISA as well as a Certificate in Copy-Editing and Certificate in Corporate Coaching from the University of Cape Town. 

Formerly a teacher of English, and Accreditation and Assessments Manager at the Chartered Secretaries of Southern Africa, I have years of experience in the editing of business and academic reports and materials. My corporate experience includes, but is not limited to, coaching of MBA students for a number of years for the UNISA School of Business Leadership. 

I am full member of the Professional Editors' Guild (PEG). Membership Number BAU001.

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sam ashbrook

researcher

b.S. (economics)

I hold a B.S. in Economics from Cal Poly and have experience in accounting, finance, and business management. Prior to working for Montijo Mouton Consulting my career journey includes helping run my family’s skin care business, serving as an Accounting Manager, and gaining valuable financial insights through shadowing at Raymond James Financial Services.

I am passionate about accounting and finance and committed to lifelong learning. I plan to enroll in an MBA program in the Fall of 2025 to further refine my business acumen and leadership skills. In addition, I am working toward obtaining my Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation to enhance my expertise and make a meaningful impact in the accounting profession. With a strong entrepreneurial mindset and a goal-oriented approach, I aim to help organizations achieve financial clarity and drive strategic success.

Core Values: Integrity, Ambition, and Dependability.

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Csikszentmihalyi, M., Montijo, M.N., & Mouton, A.R. (2018). Flow theory: Optimizing elite performance in the creative realm. In S.I. Pfeiffer, E. Shaunessy-Dedrick, M. Foley-Nicpon, & S.I. Pfeiffer (Eds.), APA Handbook of Giftedness and Talent (pp. 215-229). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association. 

Mouton, A. (2022). Hope and Work: From the Pandemic to Possibility, Purpose, and Resilience. Current Opinion in Psychology, 101550.

Mouton, A.R., & Montijo, M.N. (2018). Hope and work. In M.W. Gallagher & S.J. Lopez (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Hope (pp. 327-339). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 

Mouton, A.R. (2017). Towards the next generation of positive psychology interventions [Review of the book Positive Psychology Interventions in Practice, by C. Proctor (Ed)]. PsycCRITIQUES, 62(31). 

Mouton, A. R., & Montijo, M. N. (2017). Love, passion, and peak experience: A qualitative study on six continents. Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(3), 263-280. 

Montijo, M.N. & Mouton, A.R. (2016).  Love for frequent and low flow activities in the United States and India. Creativity. Theories, Research, Applications, 3(2), 379 – 407.

Mouton, A. R. (2016). Performance coaching in sport, music, and business: From Gallwey to Grant, and the promise of positive psychology. International Coaching Psychology Review, 11(2), 129-141.

Mouton, A.R. (2015). Positive psychology predictors of performance in academics, athletics and the workplace. Doctoral dissertation. Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA.

Monitjo, M.N. & Mouton, A.R. (In preparation). The importance of negative emotions, learning, and growth in peak experiences.

Mouton, A.R. (In preparation). Hope, flow, and passion as predictors of performance in academics, athletics, and the workplace.

Mouton, A.R. (In preparation). The VIPER Model: A qualitative study of the predictors of peak performance.