Michelle Murphy
Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, BAE Systems
With over 25 years of experience in the aerospace and defense industry, Michelle Murphy leverages her expertise to lead BAE Systems, Inc.’s human resources, safety, health and environmental activities.
“I continue to be amazed and inspired by our employees’ incredible work and their passion for our mission of protecting those who protect us,” she said. “It is what energizes me every day — even during challenging times.”
Murphy has championed initiatives to increase employee wellbeing, including through the development of a companywide Resilience Portal to help employees and their families deal with all aspects of wellbeing. She also championed investment in family-centric benefit packages and long-term, flexible work schedules. In addition, she heightened the company’s focus on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
“One of the reasons our business came through the pandemic as well as it did was the effective choices made to protect and support our employees,” said BAE Systems, Inc. President and CEO Tom Arseneault. “Michelle’s expertise, leadership, judgment and agility were critical to that success. Just as importantly, her empathy and insights have helped us create an environment where diversity, equity and inclusion can thrive.”
Under Murphy’s leadership, the company has earned top scores on the Disability Equality Index and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index.
Why Watch
Throughout 2022, Murphy’s team has been focused on leaning into the fast-paced job market and hiring thousands of new employees who can bring outside perspectives to BAE Systems.
“We work hard every day to maintain a culture where everyone is valued and feels they belong,” she said. “We know that when people are cared for and enabled to thrive — physically, mentally, emotionally — that’s when they do their best, most creative and innovative work. This sets us apart in how we retain our people and bring more employees into our community.”