Michael Ellis Murphy

As a student at Georgetown, Mike Murphy was moonlighting as an ad copy writer for the National Conservative Political Action Committee, the precursor to today’s super PACs. He was so good at the craft that he cut short his studies and launched his own political consulting firm at the age of 20. Over the next two decades, Mike served as the lead strategist and media consultant to more than two dozen winning gubernatorial and U.S. Senate campaigns. He is widely recognized as one of the Republican Party’s most successful consultants and an innovator in utilizing message strategy and advertising to move public opinion and votes. Mike’s client list contains some of the biggest names in GOP politics in recent memory, including Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michigan Governor John Engler, and U.S. Senator John McCain. Mike has also been an adviser to numerous CEOs, Fortune 500 companies, and prominent trade associations, directing high-profile image, issue advocacy, and voter referendum campaigns for Hewlett-Packard, American Council of Life Insurers, The Miami Heat, Caruso Affiliated, Bombardier, Walmart, Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. An early adapter, Mike’s campaigns for political leaders and corporate America are known for their trend-setting uses of new technology. Mike has served as an Institute of Politics Fellow at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and often lectures at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He is also a frequent commentator on NBC’s Meet the Press, NPR, and a columnist for Time. Mike has always had an interest in the creative arts and his skills have translated to the entertainment industry. He and his wife Tiffany live in Los Angeles where he is a screenwriter and producer.