Stephen Murphy
Stephen Murphy is the chairman of the Garden Centre Group and the former group CEO of Virgin Group until 2011.
Career
Murphy has previously worked for multinational companies including Mars, Burton Group, Ford Motors and Unilever plc.
From 2005 to 2011 he was Group CEO of the Virgin Group, having succeeded founder Sir Richard Branson.
In June 2012 he was named as chairman of the Garden Centre Group.
Murphy is also non-executive chairman of hospitality company Jumeirah Group, chairman of UK medical technology business The Learning Group, non-executive director of Chinese social networking company Ren Ren Inc, non-executive director of The Business Growth Fund and an advisory partner at corporate finance and advisory business Ashcombe Advisers LLP.[1]
Political donations
The Labour Party claim Murphy has made a £66,314 donation[2] but nothing has been recorded by the electoral commission.[3]
Letter to the Telegraph
On 1 April 2015 Murphy was one of 103 business leaders who wrote to the Telegraph praising the British Conservative Party's economic policies and claiming a Labour government would 'threaten jobs and deter investment' in the UK.[4]
Notes
- ↑ Wyevale Garden Centres Board of Directors, accessed 3 April 2015.
- ↑ The Tory 100: captains of industry, party donors (and a few tax avoiders) Guardian, 1 April 2015, accessed 3 April 2015.
- ↑ Electoral Commission Search, accessed 7 April 2015.
- ↑ Peter Dominiczak, 100 business chiefs: Labour threatens Britain's recovery, Telegraph, 3 April 2015.
