Erin McLeod began her career in education, working in administrative roles at an adult education centre in Montreal. After returning to school as a mature student, she completed an undergraduate degree in Social Sciences & Psychology before moving to the United Kingdom, where she spent nearly a decade working in higher education.
Her work included career advising as well as admissions, recruitment, and enrolment strategy. At the University of Surrey, she helped develop recruitment and business planning initiatives for the Faculty of Business, Economics, and Law, and was awarded a staff scholarship to complete a Masters (EMBA) in Business.
After nearly ten years in the UK, Erin returned to Canada and joined the Foundation for Medical Practice Education (FMPE) as Director of Administration.
Q: What initially drew you to FMPE?
When I first interviewed with FMPE, I was still learning about the organization and its programs. It was quite different from what I had experienced in higher education, which made it especially interesting to me.
What really stood out was the impact. That’s always been what drew me to education in general—the ability to make a difference in people’s lives and in the broader community. When I realized that FMPE worked in family medicine and healthcare, that added another layer of impact that I found really compelling.
At the same time, the role still had strong links to the higher education world and the operational and strategic work I had been doing in universities.
So I moved to Hamilton—without ever having been there before—and started working at FMPE. It was a bit of a leap, but also an exciting one.
Q: What did the landscape look like when you first arrived?
It was definitely a new environment for me, but in many ways it was also exciting.
There was a national scope to the work that was different from my previous roles. FMPE works closely with family physicians across Canada, and the organization operates in both English and French, which was helpful for me, since I’m originally from Montreal.
I also found the mix of people and perspectives really interesting. I was able to work with internal staff, unionized higher education colleagues, external contractors, and physicians from across the country. It created a very collaborative and dynamic environment.
During that first year, I really focused on learning as much as I could—about the organization, the sector, and how continuing medical education fits into the broader healthcare landscape.
Q: How did your role evolve over time?
In my second year, I started thinking more strategically about how we could build on the organization’s strengths and continue moving it forward.
I could see certain trends emerging, such as a number of physicians nearing retirement and opportunities to expand how we communicated about the program. I also saw areas where we could strengthen the internal culture and processes within the organization.
From there, it became a gradual process of thoughtful change—looking at what would genuinely support the organization and help it grow.
One framework that helped guide that work was the PDSA cycle—Plan, Do, Study, Act—which FMPE uses in its educational programs. I found it made sense to apply that same mindset to organizational development as well.
Q: What are you most proud of?
I think the area I’m most proud of is the growth we’ve seen in our organizational culture.
FMPE has gone through a lot of change over the years, both within the higher education sector and within primary care more broadly. Through that, we’ve worked hard to build a collaborative and supportive team environment.
We don’t have a blame culture. People support each other, and everyone—including the Directors—dive in when needed. It’s a lean team, but a very committed one.
When I look back over the past nine years, the shift in that internal culture really stands out. It’s helped us move faster and accomplish more, and it’s something I’m incredibly proud to have been part of.
Q: Was there a specific area you were particularly excited to develop?
When I first joined FMPE, there was some hesitation around direct marketing. As a not-for-profit, there can sometimes be a perception that marketing isn’t necessary.
But in reality, even not-for-profit organizations need strong brand awareness to remain sustainable. Marketing isn’t about selling a product—it’s about helping people understand the value of what you offer.
FMPE already had a strong reputation through word-of-mouth, which really speaks to the quality of the program. But there was an opportunity to expand awareness and make the organization more visible.
That led to a full marketing initiative. We partnered with the team at Hobé Hosokawa Marketing, a firm focused on social good who specialize in the not-for-profit sector. With their guidance, we rebranded, refreshed the website, and launched social media channels.
Since then, communications and marketing outreach have become ingrained in our organization’s DNA as we continue to expand initiatives, actively reaching out to both current and potential members.
Seeing how much that has grown over the past five years has been incredibly rewarding.
Q: What have you valued most about your time at FMPE?
Over the last nine years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with people from so many different backgrounds across Canada. Our Board members are deeply passionate about the work they do, and over time those relationships have developed into strong connections built on trust.
Within the organization, it’s the same. From our support staff to contractors, directors, and partners—everyone brings their own expertise and perspective.
It’s also the place where I’ve grown the most professionally. Working in a new sector pushed me to develop new skills and think differently about leadership and change.
But the biggest lesson has been how much can be achieved when everyone works together and draws on each other’s strengths.
Q: What will you miss most?
Leaving wasn’t an easy decision. It’s been an incredibly meaningful experience and one that has shaped me in ways I didn’t expect. I’ll miss the people, the work, and the sense of purpose that comes from being part of the primary care space.
Even though I’m returning more directly to higher education, I think I’ll miss that healthcare impact that FMPE has. It’s something I’ve become very passionate about.
At the same time, the timing feels right. We’ve accomplished a lot over the past few years, and we’ve just completed the next strategic plan.
FMPE is in a strong position moving toward 2030, and I’m excited to see where that journey goes.
