Since childhood, Carmen has never shied away from daring to be different and stand out from the crowd. Her unique approach to problem-solving became the driving force behind her meteoric rise as a giant of the South African marketing landscape, eventually leading to the point where she founded Carmen Murray Communications in 2021. Along the way, Carmen's path has been an exhilarating whirlwind spanning several continents and earning her a cascade of accolades to affirm her place as a true luminary in business and marketing.

Today, her main goal is to help other women harness their dormant power to kick down doors and break ceilings – and this is what her latest innovation, Conscious LeadHERship, is all about.  

​

​

Starting her career in the premium service industry, Carmen quickly grasped the intricate dance of human psychology, blending it seamlessly with her fiery passion for data science and digital content creation.

The result is her unique approach to crafting hyper-personalised content strategies that defy convention and captivate audiences. This one-of-a-kind approach has also earned her a seat at some of the most prestigious local and international boardroom tables, where she has positively impacted the marketing efforts of numerous brands.

Carmen is a qualified postgraduate specialising in systems thinking, change management, transformational leadership, storytelling, strategy, and trend analysis. Yet, true to her open mind and nature, she doesn’t shy away from incorporating unconventional methodologies beyond her academic background, including netnography, psychology, numerology, astrology, and even her ability to feel the market as a neurodivergent empath. Yet, her reputation is based on solid science that has led to undisputable results for her clients.

She’s not just about the blue-chip clientele, however. Carmen's heart beats for every endeavour, from nurturing small-business dreams to orchestrating transformative campaigns for multinational giants. For her, it's not about the size of the business but the size of its heart – and even more so if there is an opportunity to help a new generation of female leaders rise.

 

Achievements and highlights

​

Carmen's list of accomplishments reads like a symphony of triumphs. A torchbearer for diversity, inclusion, and female empowerment, she was recognised by Meltwater as the Top Woman in Tech in Africa 2019.

​

She has also received a prestigious Black Pixel at the IAB Bookmarks Awards for the best individual contribution to Digital. In 2018 and 2019, BizCommunity recognised her as one of the top contributors for her Future Fit Column. In 2020, she was named one of the top audio personalities, and in 2022 she was announced as one of the Xtraordinary Women.

Carmen has been a keynote speaker in over 40 countries and has delivered over 250 masterclasses to a combined audience of 11,000 business professionals in the past few years. She continues to be a popular panellist on both the local and international conference circuits.

​

In 2022, Carmen developed and delivered the HerStory.HerVoice Leadership Summit and trained over 400 female VPs in the Tech Industry to achieve conscious leadHERS breakthroughs.

​

Carmen can also be found on the digital airwaves with her charting podcasts, The Carmen Murray Show, Conscious Conversations and The In with the Outsiders, while contributing to TV, radio, print and online publications such as Carte Blanche, ETV, Radio 702, ENCA, Citizen and Mail & Guardian.

​

Her industry contributions include MMA, IAB, DMA, MRMW, AMASA, and BOGDM, which includes GIBS, JBS, UJ, Henley Business School, AAA School of Advertising, and an array of local and international business schools. She lectures and co-authors educational books at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and is an accredited local and international course creator.

​

 

Carmen has served on the following councils:

​

* IAB: Innovation Council

* IAB: Education and Transformation Committee

* Representative of the Professional Body for Digital Practitioners in South Africa

* Faculty Member for RebaOne Academy

* Juror for Financial Times Adfocus Awards, IAB, Advertising Association of South Africa

* Exclusive representative of The Connected Marketer™ in Africa.