Kirsty Murphy MBE

Kirsty Murphy MBE is famed for her decorated Royal Air Force service, during which she made headlines as the first and only female Red Arrows Pilot. Having served for 17 years in the RAF, Kirsty is now an Aviation Senior Consultant for Connected Places Catapult and a highly sought-after motivational speaker. When hired as a speaker, Kirsty is both high-energy and impactful, bringing lived experience from high-stakes environments to the stage, engaging audiences with lessons on performing under pressure, precision leadership and overcoming adversity, along with how she thrived as a female trailblazer in a male-dominated sector.

Born to a military family, Kirsty’s aspirations to join the RAF began young. At just 13 years old, Kirsty’s father was captured and tortured for six weeks during the Gulf War. This experience demanded that Kirsty build mental resilience and overcome adversity, motivating her to follow in her father’s footsteps and join the military. Unfortunately, Kirsty was rejected from the RAF due to attending the “wrong” school and having arms just 2mm too short. Never letting obstacles stop her road to success, Kirsty would hang from a bar each morning, eventually lengthening her arms by 4mm. She also achieved an MEng in Aeronautical Engineering from Imperial College London, overcoming adversity to achieve her goal of becoming a Pilot in the Royal Air Force, which she achieved in 1998. Proving to be a diligent and trustworthy pilot, Kirsty was later appointed as a Tornado GR4 Pilot, following in the pioneering footsteps of fellow RAF pilot Dr Jo Salter MBE, before taking the responsibility of RAF Fast Jet Training and Capability Manager. In 2009, she joined the Red Arrows, appointed as the Executive Officer of the Red Arrows in 2012.

After her retirement from the RAF, Kirsty spent several years flying in formation displays as a Blades Aerobatic Display Pilot for 2Excel Aviation Ltd alongside her duties as an Aviation Ambassador for the Department of Transport – personally selected by the Secretary of State for Transport. Kirsty is also renowned for creating, executing and leading the transformational project of the whole of the UK Space Agency, in roles of Project Delivery Manager, Head of Secretariat and Chief of Staff. A resilient and analytical thinker, Kirsty expertly helped the UK Space Agency to navigate a challenging, time-pressured transformation project, skills that today form the basis of her expert keynote and motivational speeches. In 2021, Kirsty was honoured for her services to aviation when she was appointed an MBE in Queen Elizabeth II's Birthday Honours.

When hired as a motivational or keynote speaker, Kirsty Murphy MBE is acclaimed for her high-energy delivery, authenticity and real-world credibility. A deeply motivational, trailblazing female role model in aviation, Kirsty shares with audiences how she has overcome intense pressure, devastating setbacks and personal adversity to achieve success at the highest level of aviation. Kirsty’s experience of high-stakes teamwork, leadership and risk management translates seamlessly into business, offering clear lessons on performance when decisions truly matter. Delivering speeches in a relatable, peer-to-peer style, Kirsty also openly addresses anxiety, sleep disorders and emotional burnout, which she experienced due to witnessing two fatal aircraft crashes and the breakup of her marriage. When looking for a keynote speaker who leaves audiences motivated and ready to excel in personal and professional life, hire Kirsty Murphy MBE today. 

Due to her trailblazing experience as the first and only female pilot in the Red Arrows, Kirsty Murphy MBE was recognised as one of the Top Trending Female Motivational Speakers to Hire for Events - a testament to her ability to distil powerful lessons on precision leadership and cohesive teamwork in high-stakes environments. Kirsty has also received recognition as one of the 17 Top-Rated Keynote Speakers to Work With in Europe, hand-selected by Socialnomics using official data from global events.