Erin Moran

Erin Moran is the inaugural executive director of the Dr. Nancy Grasmick Leadership Institute, an interdisciplinary research and action-based institute at Towson University. Moran will lead the overall operations and fiscal management of the Institute, including the launching of key programming initiatives, as well as representing the Institute with key stakeholders such as corporations, non-profits and government agencies.

Moran has spent most of her 24-year career dedicated to developing leaders who create inspiring work environments that enable people to be fulfilled while also achieving extraordinary business results. Moran believes ‘we create a better society when people work in healthy environments.’

Moran spent nearly a decade with Great Place to Work where she studied leading workplace cultures, helped produce the “Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For” list and advised clients on how to improve workplace culture. Moran was chief culture officer for New York City-based Union Square Hospitality Group for seven years, where she was responsible for overseeing and enhancing all aspects of employee experience for the company that created Shake Shack and is known globally for its culture.

Moran has a series of awards to her credit, including being named one of the Top 50 Women Innovators in the Restaurant Industry (2019), a two-time honoree through the National Restaurant Association Power List of Culture Champions (2017 and 2019) and Women’s Foodservice Forum Top Women in Metro New York Foodservice & Hospitality (2018).

An experienced speaker and panel participant, Erin enjoys addressing audiences from a wide range of industries on workplace culture as a competitive advantage and the central role that trust plays in sustaining great workplaces.

Moran is a Baltimore native and holds a B.S. from St. Joseph’s University and an M.B.A. from the Thunderbird School of International Management.