ACG Houston: November Monthly Luncheon 2024

Paul B. Murphy Jr. launched Murphy Interests, a family office that partners with business owners and operators to spur growth, in April 2023. Prior to this venture, Mr. Murphy enjoyed a 42-year career as a commercial banker, during which time he served as Chairman & CEO of Cadence Bancorporation and CEO of Amegy Bank for 21 years combined. 

Murphy and a group of investors raised $1 billion in equity in 2010 to invest in the distressed banking industry. After acquiring Cadence Bank in 2011, the company grew through additional acquisitions and core growth. In 2017, the company completed an IPO (NYSE) and subsequently grew to $18 billion in assets prior to merging with BancorpSouth Bank in October 2021. 

Prior to that, Mr. Murphy spent 20 years at Amegy Bank of Texas, helping to steer that institution from $75 million in assets and a single location to $11 billion of assets and 85 branches in Texas. He managed the sale of Amegy to Zions Bancorporation for $1.7 billion in 2005 and investors enjoyed a return of 36 times their original investment. 

Mr. Murphy is an advocate of the community and has served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards. Currently, he is on the boards of Oceaneering International Inc., Natural Resource Partners, Hope and Healing Center and Institute, Houston
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the City of Houston Complete Communities Advisory Board. He is also active in the YPO Gold Organization. 

He previously served on the board of the Houston Branch of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank, St Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Children’s Museum of Houston and Hines REIT, and he was Senior Warden at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. 

Mr. Murphy earned a Bachelor of Science from Mississippi State University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. 

He enjoys golf, travel and people. His daughter, son-in-law and two sons live in Houston, Texas.