Todd Leader, an alumnus of Cape Breton University and Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a Registered Social Worker and a Registered Community Psychologist. Since 1990, he has been working as a transformational leader in health services and in health promotion, particularly in the areas of mental health, addictions, and primary health care. He has also been teaching in the Faculty of Science at Saint Mary's University for the same 30 years. Todd has twice earned the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Saint Mary's University Students' Association. As well, health services under his leadership have earned two international best practice awards, and a leadership award for excellence in women's health.

He was appointed by the Nova Scotia Minister of Health and Wellness to the Ministerial Advisory Panel on Innovation in Mental Health and Addictions. Todd has been the President of the Public Health Association of Nova Scotia, a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Public Health Association, the President of the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia, and the Vice President of the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers. Todd has spent his whole career working as an advocate for client-centered health services, and evidence-based healthy public policy. One approach he has taken on that path was writing a book called "It's Not About Us; The Secret to Transforming the Mental Health and Addiction System in Canada". This is how-to guide for making the system more focused on what the client needs, and is based on a real life success story in which he and his team achieved true client-centered transformation of a broken system.