When John D. Smith stepped into his role as CEO of Foundation Partners Group (FPG) earlier this year, he inherited more than 260 funeral homes, crematories, and cemeteries across the country — and a team that had already weathered years of acquisition-fueled expansion and industry evolution. Six months in, Smith says the company is entering a new phase — one defined not by rapid growth through acquisition, but by unifying, refining, and re-engaging with the communities it serves.
“We’ve been an acquisition-driven holding company,” Smith explained in a recent interview with Connecting Directors during the 2025 National Funeral Directors Association Convention & Expo. “Now, we’re pivoting and becoming a branded, united operating company.”
That shift, Smith emphasized, marks a significant cultural and operational transformation.
“Before, you’re going out and you’re buying your EBITDA — your profit, your market share,” he said. “Now we’re saying, hey, we’re going to pause on acquisitions and take all this stuff we have and turn it into a real operating company. We’re going to grow our market share and profitability by serving families better than our competitors — with the team we already have.”
Re-engaging the Foundation Partners community
Earlier this year, FPG created its Community Advisory Board, composed of industry and community leaders who bring an outside perspective to the organization’s strategy and direction. The board’s insights, Smith said, are already proving invaluable.
“They gave us feedback on how we’re thinking about our business, how we’re going to grow,” he shared. “They love how we’re getting reconnected in the community, and they’re really excited to help us with that. It’s going well.”
For Smith, who came to the deathcare space after leadership roles in other industries, building those relationships — both inside and outside the organization — is central to FPG’s transformation.
“I’ve learned that the people in this profession are great,” he said. “They love what we do, they love serving families, and they want to win. This company’s been through so much, and we still have a team that’s engaged, connected, and excited about the direction we’re going. We’ve laid out our path forward, how we’re going to grow, and they have a lot of excitement about that.”
“Transformations don’t happen before people do”
Smith’s approach to leadership is grounded in a philosophy he’s carried throughout his career: “Organizations don’t transform in a sustained way before people do.”
“Irrespective of what industry you’re in, it’s all about people,” he explained. “We’ve gotten here because people were doing certain things — not good or bad, just the way things were done. Now, we’re saying, ‘Here’s the outcome we want and here’s why we need to move this way.’”
That “why,” Smith said, is the foundation of change. Once people understand it, they can begin to shift their mindset.
“If you know the why, then you start asking, ‘How do I change my mindset from what I believed before to now?’” he explained. “When people get there, they realize, ‘I need a different skill set,’ and that’s where training and coaching come in. Then, once they’ve got the mindset and the skill set, we give them the tool set — the systems and processes that make it possible. That’s how you change a company of this size.”
Leading through change
Of course, transformation — especially in a people-centered profession like the deathcare profession — comes with both excitement and uncertainty. Smith acknowledged that reactions among FPG’s funeral home teams have been mixed, but still largely positive.
“It’s two-sided,” he said. “On one hand, they love that we’re focused on them — that we’re investing in our people, our facilities, and our technology to help them do their jobs easier and faster and take care of families. But at the same time, they’re human. They’re saying, ‘Wait a minute, this feels different. You’re going to measure me on that now? Your expectations of me are different?’ You get both sides — and that’s part of growth.”
That growth, Smith said, isn’t just about financial performance; it’s about creating a unified culture built on shared purpose and accountability.
“I can say one thing, but if it doesn’t show up in the behavior of our leaders, it’s not going to work,” he noted. “So I’ve spent a lot of time helping my leaders get there — making sure they’re showing up differently. It’s working, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
Smith’s long-term vision for Foundation Partners Group centers on sustainability — not just operationally, but culturally. He wants the company to be known for delivering consistently excellent service across its locations while honoring the individuality of each community it serves.
For more information on Foundation Partners Group, reach out to the FPG team at https://foundationpartners.com/contact-us/.
