When Anthony Murphy spotted an opportunity to join the Board at BU, he jumped at the chance to give back to the university which set him on the path to his career.

Anthony graduated with BA (Hons) in Financial Services from BU in 2001 and is now Chief Financial Officer at The Nottingham Building Society.

The first in his family to attend university when he embarked on his degree in 1997, he was persuaded to consider BU by a friend, and he hasn’t looked back since. Anthony said: “I am hugely grateful to BU for helping me get to where I am today. The university gave me my introduction to Lloyds Banking Group which led to a placement and then a graduate role and the beginning of my career in financial services. Beyond that, it also gave me friendships that continue to this day and a fantastic four years in a beautiful environment that felt a world away from my upbringing in inner city London.”

It was during Anthony’s second year on the course that he was selected as one of the top-performing students and invited to apply for a 16-month internship with Lloyds. Having been successful and impressed the company during placement, he returned to take up a graduate role and went on to hold senior financial and strategic roles. From there he worked as Chief Financial Officer for a listed regional bank in the United Arab Emirates, before joining digital challenger bank Tandem and then The Nottingham in 2023.

Returning to BU for the first time in over 20 years for his first Board meeting, Anthony describes the physical changes as transformational. He said: “The university and town have gone from strength to strength. On driving into Bournemouth, I was immediately struck by the university’s new Gateway Building, which provides a landmark for the Lansdowne area. The further facilities at Talbot Campus provide students with a modern and impressive learning environment.”

As a Board member, Anthony is serving on BU’s Audit, Risk & Governance, Student Experience and Quality & Standards committees. He said: “The operating environment for universities is challenging – as it is for financial institutions and corporate businesses. I am pleased to be able to share whatever insights and experiences I can to help the university navigate the challenges and thrive, as it welcomes new generations of students.”