Cat’s Track Podcast: #25 - Lara Murphy

Originally published on Cat’s Track on June 8, 2020.

Welcome to Cat’s Track Episode 25, with guest Lara Murphy.

Lara Murphy is the co-founder and director of business development and strategy of Calgary’s Ryan Murphy Construction Inc. (RMC), where she has managed numerous multi-million-dollar projects in corporate, commercial, health care and residential construction. Murphy has always focused on a cooperative leadership style to create a more transparent and educational company within the industry, emphasizing that open and positive communication are paramount. RMC is the only female-owned commercial construction firm in the city.

Working with businesses like the Calgary Telus Convention Centre, Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts, Sheraton, TelusSpark, UNDRCARD Boxing Studio, Junction 9, Village Ice Cream, Gravity Café, and The Vin Room, RMC has been recognized nationally as one of the country’s fastest-growing companies and featured in publications such as Canadian Business, the Globe and Mail, MacLean’s Magazine, Report on Business, Alberta Venture, and Chatelaine.

Murphy is a public speaker who has participated in numerous panels and regularly gives talks about leadership, entrepreneurship, the construction industry, and women in business. Outside of work, Murphy loves giving back to her community, where she volunteers for various non-profit organizations. Advocating for vulnerable women and supporting younger entrepreneurs are two areas she is passionate about. She is currently Calgary YWCA’s incoming board chair, a board member of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, and a member of SAIT’s board of governors. Through her company, she is also proud to contribute to several community initiatives by partnering with organizations such as The Boys & Girls Club, United Way, Scotia Bank Charity Marathon, Cerebral Palsy Kids and Families, Beakerhead, and the Inglewood Community Association.

Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Murphy has a bachelor of arts from Mount Allison University and a history of successful business start-ups that have fed her entrepreneurial and compassionate spirit. She has been married for 7 years, and in her spare time, she loves to travel, ski, garden, read, and enjoy Calgary’s river path.