Michael L. Murphy has rejoined R.J. Brunelli & Co., Inc. in Old Bridge as a senior sales associate, focused on representing the firm’s foodservice and grocery clients in eastern Pennsylvania markets.
Murphy most recently served as director of Retail Services for Cushman & Wakefield in Philadelphia for four years. From 2006-12, he had served as a senior sales associate at Brunelli., where he provided project management, landlord and tenant representation services.
Over the course of a career that spans five decades, Murphy has served in a variety of senior level positions at major shopping center and retail companies. He began his career in 1972 as a mall marketing director with Ernest W. Hahn, Inc. in San Diego and went on to serve as marketing/operations manager and subsequently general manager/leasing director for major malls in Utah, Virginia, Montana and California.
From 1980-89, he was senior vice president and director for Mrs. Fields’ Cookies in Utah. In that role, he led all aspects of corporate marketing and store development during a period in which the chain grew from three to 700 locations in the United States and five foreign countries.
Murphy later became the first senior vice president of real estate for a major national retail chain to be named vice president of leasing for a Top 10 U.S. shopping center company when he assumed that role in 1990 at Kravco Company in Pennsylvania. In that capacity, he was responsible for all real estate and leasing activity for the developer’s portfolio of 26 regional and 14 community shopping centers comprising 35 million square feet, and played a key role in the renovation, expansion and remerchandising of The Court and Plaza at King of Prussia.
Murphy graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing/advertising/public relations. He holds the International Council of Shopping Center’s Certified Leasing Specialist and Certified Shopping Center Manager designations, and was a faculty member for the council’s Schools for Professional Development from 1991-95.
