John Murphy is a highly experienced TransforMATive Associate, specialising in leadership development, organisational design and change management. He works with school and Trust leaders to strengthen their digital strategies, develop authentic leadership and build organisational capacity that delivers meaningful and lasting impact.
John brings the perspective of a seasoned leader, having served as CEO of one of England’s leading academy trusts. Over his tenure, he oversaw 52 academies, serving some of the most disadvantaged communities with a workforce of 5,000. Under his leadership, 41 schools were successfully onboarded, new schools were opened, and 45 schools moved from failing or special measures to good or outstanding. His 36-year career spans headship across seven schools, including primary, secondary, all-through and special settings, as well as residential SEMH. Throughout, a passion for developing and enabling others has been the golden thread in his work.
John has also played a national role in shaping the sector. As one of the founding CEOs of the National Institute of Teaching, he helped design its mission to nurture teacher and leader talent through development and research. He has served as a leadership advisor in the Future Leaders programme, co-authored the best-selling guide Why Are You Shouting at Me? on behaviour management, and continues to inspire others as a mentor, trainer and keynote speaker.
In 2019, John led the Horizons project, rolling out 34,000 iPads to children and staff across his Trust to close the disadvantage gap and broaden opportunities. He now draws on this experience to help organisations shape digital strategies that raise standards and empower learners. Over the past 18 months alone, John has mentored more than 30 Multi-Academy Trusts of varying size and phase, supporting leaders in refining their vision, strategy and culture.
At the core of John’s approach is a deep belief in people and culture. He works with leaders to connect vision with authentic practice, ensure school improvement at scale and align organisational growth with relational trust. His work continues to influence the next generation of Trust leaders across the UK.
John Murphy embodies the TransforMATive ethos of developing people, shaping strategy and driving transformation that changes lives.