Taylor Murphy ’16 has built her career at the intersection of digital transformation, enterprise strategy, and human-centered change. As a leader working across global organizations including Sanofi, she focuses on designing and scaling AI-powered operating models that help companies rethink how they work from the inside out. Her approach is both structured and adaptive: translate ambitious ideas into clear systems, and make sure people evolve alongside the technology driving them.
Murphy joined the Infoversity podcast to reflect on her path from the iSchool to leading transformation at scale. While her work today is deeply technical, she credits her foundation to something broader. “We weren’t just learning technical skills. We were learning how to communicate them,” she said, pointing to her ability to bridge business and technology as a defining strength. That blend of technical fluency and communication has shaped every step of her career.
After graduating, Murphy began at Fidelity Investments, where she rotated through infrastructure and product-focused roles, gaining a full view of enterprise systems. She experienced firsthand the shift toward agile and product-based models, learning how to move quickly while aligning technical work with user needs. That experience carried into consulting at Ernst & Young, where she helped organizations scale those same practices across teams and build more efficient operating models.
After nearly a decade in financial services, she made a deliberate pivot. Taking time to reassess her next move, she focused on upskilling in AI as generative technologies began reshaping industries. “I wanted to be effective wherever I went next,” she said. That decision led her into the pharmaceutical space, a transition she describes as going from “money to molecules,” bringing her transformation expertise into a new, highly regulated environment.
At Sanofi, Murphy’s work centers on helping the organization become truly AI-powered. That goes beyond adopting tools. It requires rethinking how teams operate, how decisions are made, and how problems are approached. “It’s not about layering AI on top of existing systems. It’s about organizing differently so it’s part of how you solve problems,” she explained. Her role involves aligning strategy with execution, ensuring that large-scale ambitions translate into clear responsibilities, processes, and outcomes.
One of those ambitions is significant: reducing the drug discovery lifecycle from roughly 14 years to 7. Murphy helps break down that goal into actionable work across teams, emphasizing the importance of communication, structure, and measurable impact. “Strategy is great, but people need to understand what it means for their role,” she said. That clarity becomes especially critical in fast-moving environments shaped by AI and constant change.
For Murphy, transformation is ultimately a people challenge. Organizations must not only adopt new technologies but also shift mindsets. Teams need to become comfortable with iteration, experimentation, and rapid change. Leaders must create clarity and psychological safety so employees feel confident navigating uncertainty. “People lean toward clarity in moments of transformation,” she noted, emphasizing that communication is the backbone of successful change.
That perspective also shapes her view of AI’s role in the workplace. Rather than replacing human decision-making, she sees it as a powerful support system. “AI advises, humans decide,” she said, reinforcing the importance of maintaining agency while leveraging new tools. In a highly regulated environment, that balance is essential, with governance, ethics, and data protection guiding how technology is used at scale.
Outside of her enterprise work, Murphy also leads a coaching and advisory practice, supporting women navigating career pivots and personal transformation. Many of her clients are facing the same questions she once did: how to adapt, how to stand out, and how to align their work with their goals. Her advice is consistent. Build strong communication skills, adopt a solution-oriented mindset, and lean into what makes you unique.
Looking ahead, she believes the professionals who will thrive are those who integrate AI seamlessly into their work while doubling down on their human strengths. “The people who stand out will be the ones who use AI to move faster, but also know what makes them different,” she said.
A career defined by adaptability, a mindset grounded in clarity, and a focus on people as much as technology. Murphy’s story is a reminder that transformation is not just about new tools, but about how individuals and organizations choose to evolve with them.