Hugh D MacPhie

Early life

Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, MacPhie is the eldest of three sons. His father, Robert H. MacPhie is a professor at the University of Waterloo. His mother, Cathy, is a retired school teacher. Primarily raised in Kitchener, MacPhie also lived outside of Canada as a boy, relocating with his family to California and France, respectively. While living in France, he learned to speak French fluently.

An Honours Business graduate from Wilfrid Laurier University and a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, MacPhie also studied Group Dynamics, sociology, and film at the Université de Provence in Aix-en-Provence, France.

Professional career

MacPhie started his career working in both Finance and Brand Management at Procter & Gamble. At age 23, he was recruited to the Office of the Premier of Ontario to serve as a communications advisor.

Upon leaving government, MacPhie joined the communications firm Navigator Limited, where he worked with prominent leaders in the Canadian public affairs community, including Jaime Watt, Greg Lyle, Stewart Braddick, Hugh McFadyen, and Warren Kinsella. MacPhie has been a speaker at communications industry conferences on the subject of strategy development, and a guest lecturer in the Richard Ivey School of Business’s Heath Sector MBA program. His articles have been re-printed by organizations including the Canadian Public Relations Society, and he has delivered presentations on brand building, working effectively with advertising agencies, and good writing.

MacPhie & Company

In 2004, he founded MacPhie & Company, a boutique strategy consultancy that helps organizations articulate their desired identity, set future directions, and bring stakeholders together. MacPhie & Company provides strategic planning, market research, strategic communications, and training and education services.

Don’t Forget Your Cape!

In 2009, MacPhie wrote Don’t Forget Your Cape! What Preschoolers Teach Us About Leadership and Life, which is a business and leadership book. It uses stories and anecdotes about his two preschool aged sons, Jackson and John – along with stories from business, history, and pop culture – to make management theory simple to understand. The cape analogy was inspired by MacPhie’s sons and their interest in superheroes. MacPhie also delivers Keynote presentations based on the book.

Don’t Forget Your Cape! What Preschoolers Teach Us About Leadership and Life has been featured in some of Canada's leading publications including the The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star and the Toronto Sun.

Personal life

MacPhie and his wife Michelle reside in Toronto with their two school-aged sons, Jackson and John.