John Murphy, aged 37, is the grandson of the John Murphy that founded the civil engineering contractor in London in 1951. Chief operating officer since January 2017, he will take over from Steve Hollingshead at the end of the year.
Mr Hollingshead, a former managing director of Laing O’Rourke, joined Murphy in June 2015 after a year as construction director of the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project. He will stay on the Murphy board of directors, but in a non-executive capacity.
Peter Anderson, who joined Murphy from Balfour Beatty in January as managing director for its south business, will become the company’s chief operating officer.
Alastair Kerr, Murphy’s chairman, said: “It is with great pleasure that we welcome John’s step up into the role of CEO. He takes over the reins at an exciting time for Murphy, where we have a clear long-term plan for where we are going and what we want to deliver. As well as an understanding of the company’s history, John has experience and knowledge of Murphy’s people and values, which will be instrumental for us as we go forward and deliver our growth plan.”
John Murphy joined the business in 2003 as a civil engineer and his projects have included the London power tunnels for the Olympic Park in 2012 and the south Wales expansion pipeline for National Grid. Prior to becoming COO role, he was regional managing director of Murphy’s business in the north of England.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
