Michael Murphy is senior vice president, global sales for Choice Hotels International. He leads the company's global sales and intermediary marketing efforts in collaboration with the Choice Central Reservations Systems team, corporate groups, and both domestic and international brand teams. He's responsible for managing and growing Choice's $1 billion in annual sales to the corporate travel, leisure, motor club, government, SMERF (Social, Military, Educational, Religious, Fraternal) group meeting and GSA (General Services Administration) segments worldwide. Prior to joining Choice in 2009, Murphy served as senior vice president of sales for Marriott International, Inc. 
 
Murphy is dedicated to his profession of 25 years. He is a member of RIT's International Hospitality Advisory Board, a trustee of the Professional Convention Management Association, and has held other industry leadership positions, including past president of the Insurance Conference Planners Association Hospitality Partners Committee. 
As a student, Murphy recalls the experience of assisting the sales and marketing leadership of the Stouffer Rochester Plaza Hotel with a city-wide sales blitz to announce the hotel's opening and generate business leads—an experience that launched his career. As valuable as the applied experience was, he considers the social networking offered by RIT even more valuable, as he met his wife of 25 years, Lisa McCartney Murphy '83, on campus 27 years ago.