Holly Murphy is the Senior Director of the Experimental Systems Group (ESG) within Boeing Space Mission Systems. In this role, she is responsible for the design, build, and operational performance across the ESG portfolio of proprietary spacecraft and associated
technologies. Her team developed and operates the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle for the U.S. Department of the Air Force. The X-37B program has successfully completed seven flights and was the recipient of the 2019 Collier Trophy for changing access to space and serving as the nation’s workhorse in space experimentation and technology.

Prior to this role, she was the Director for the Space Vehicle Design Engineering Capability across Boeing’s Space, Intelligence and Weapon Systems Programs where she managed a team of >1,000 engineers performing mechanical and electrical design and analysis tasks.

Holly joined The Boeing Company 22 years ago as a structural analyst in Seal Beach, California. In 2007, Holly was nominated for a 2-year company leadership development program. Upon completion of the program, Holly joined Phantom Works Advanced Space & Intelligence Systems (AS&IS) where she was the Deputy Program Manager for the internal research and development (IR&D) project to design the World’s First All-Electric Propulsion GeoComm satellite, the 702SP. Upon transition from IR&D to a production contract, she became the Platform Integrated Product Team (IPT). In that role, she managed the design, development, qualification, procurement and delivery of all 702SP satellite bus hardware.

In 2015, Holly became the Program Manager for SES-15, a 702SP commercial satellite. She was responsible for all aspects of program execution including management of international supplier deliveries. In 2017, Holly joined the BDS Experimental Systems Group, where she managed the development and integration of complex experiments and systems onto the X-37B platform from conceptual design through hardware integration.

Holly graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University. She has a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from California State Long Beach University. Her thesis work focused on failure theories of composite materials. Holly and her family reside in Long Beach, CA.