Cher Murphy

Partner

About Cher

Cher Murphy is a Partner at ON Partners, where she conducts C-suite and board searches for clients navigating growth, transformation, and leadership transition. She leads the firm's People & Talent practice, focused on Chief People and AI Enablement Officer searches. She brings 17 years of experience advising boards and executive teams, from scaling venture- and private equity-backed portfolio companies to driving transformation at Fortune 100 and FTSE 100 organizations, with particular depth in leadership assessment as new technologies reshape how work gets done.

Before joining ON Partners, Cher spent more than six years running The Murphy Advisory, her own consultancy, where she advised leaders on building organizational capability, developing high-performing teams, and navigating structural change for clients including Nike, Amazon, Microsoft, and Ford Motor Company. Over her career she has served as Chief People Officer of a global creative agency, Chief Talent Officer of a research think tank, and a founding partner of multiple executive search boutiques focused on human resources leadership. She began her career in retained search at Heidrick & Struggles, serving clients across the US, EMEA, and the UAE. Cher is a member of Marshall Goldsmith's 100 Coaches and serves on the boards of HAC and AID International. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Houston and a Master of Science in Organizational Development from Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business, where she is an adjunct professor teaching talent management in the MBA program.

Outside of work, Cher splits her time between Scottsdale, Arizona, and Boise, Idaho, where she enjoys mountain adventures with her dog, Arlo, and leading women's adventure retreats. An applied anthropologist, she believes the best leaders are shaped by resilience, curiosity, and experiences that inspire awe.

She is a powerhouse in the future of talent and has been a trusted advisor to CEOs and Chief People Officers for many years. In addition, Cher brings a broad influential network and energy for helping companies build and develop strong leadership to our team.