The showman: How Murphy’s pitches resonate with international crowd

As director of global policy for Pearson, a well-known London-based education company that creates, distributes and verifies learning materials, Brigid Evans has been in more than her fair share of meetings with elected officials. She knows the possibilities.

Some are programmed — some are off-the-cuff.

Some are funny — some are serious.

Few are like New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.

At least that was her take after a roundtable discussion last Friday, during the governor’s five-day economic mission to the United Kingdom.

Murphy was open, honest and thoughtful, she said.

“It was refreshing,” she said. “Traditionally, when you talk to governors, they tend to stay on message. This felt more like an honest conversation.”

It was.

Murphy’s discussion with members of the British American Business group (that means they already have a strong presence in New Jersey — Pearson has an office in Hoboken) was so engaging that it went a full 20 minutes past its allotted one-hour scheduled time (an incredible rarity for the always punctual governor).

And the questions from the business leaders — Evans asked two — went beyond the normal surface issues. It was a real conversation.

Deana Lykins, the lead of government affairs of Haleon (which has offices in Weybridge, England and Warren, New Jersey) certainly felt that way.

“It was a fantastic event,” she said. “The best takeaway was how open and honest he was. In my experience, most elected officials are not that way.”

She credits Murphy’s background.

“He has a very good government and business background,” she said. “He understands where we come from and understands our need to feel safe in the current environment. So, I was grateful for his openness.”

The delegation returns home to New Jersey today.

Murphy has long called himself the chief of sales for the state. The analogy holds — except for one exception: Unlike many salespeople, he aims to be an honest broker, even if it paints a less-than-perfect picture.

In meeting after meeting — there were more than a half-dozen roundtables with multiple members of various business communities — Murphy was a straight shooter.

• If you’re looking for a concentrated geography of companies, like Kendall Square in Massachusetts, you won’t find it in New Jersey. We’re a dispersed play, he told one group;
• If finding a low-cost state is your main goal, you’ll be better off looking elsewhere, he would say;
• If you want to build cars and trucks, New Jersey is not for you, he would say — to make a point of the state’s pivot to an innovation economy.

But, if you’re looking for concierge-like services from economic development agencies that not only will answer the phone but game plan all the details, Choose New Jersey is your team, Murphy pitched.
If you’re looking for tax incentives to confront the cost of doing business, the EDA is there to help, he said.

And if you’re in a STEM-based field, New Jersey — with the highest percentage of workforce with post-graduate degrees — is your place, he told more than one group.

The willingness to be open matters. More than anything, it shows an all-in mentality, Dr. Rosie Scott of Definition Health said. Her company, based in England, has started discussions to partner with a major health system in New Jersey. Murphy’s act will only help the process, she said.

“He comes with great energy — it’s amazing,” she said. “I think he’s painted really good picture about New Jersey. We’d love to be there.”

It’s one thing to have a booming voice that doesn’t need a mic. Murphy’s got that. It’s another to be a wannabe thespian. That’s a lifelong goal the governor often has referenced over the years.

It’s still another to be a polite and respectful person.

On economic trips such as this, Murphy’s scheduled is packed all day. Getting as much out of each meeting is important. But so is a general sense of respect for the time of those who came to hear him speak.

Near the beginning of each meeting, Murphy will insist that everyone gets a chance to introduce themselves. The governor not only will pay attention, he’ll make mental notes — often pointing out particular aspects of the Jersey sell that apply to specific people in the room, later in the discussion.

Wes Mathews, the CEO of Choose New Jersey, the group that sponsors the economic mission, isn’t surprised.

Mathews, who spent much of his career in the state department, can see the experience Murphy got as the U.S. ambassador to Germany come into play.

“He not only knows how to make everyone in the room feel important — he generally feels everyone in the room is important,” he said. “That comes across.”

It certainly did to Paul Benton, the managing director of the Association of HealthTech Industries, which helped organize an event.

The group, which already has made smaller visits to New Jersey, announced it will make a larger visit next spring. Murphy is a big reason why, Benton said.

“Relationships are built around people, how they get on and how open they are,” he said. “I think it’s fabulous that he’s able to make everybody feel at ease. And I think that gets the best out of people when it comes to being open and talking about what the opportunities are.

“I think it’s brilliant that he’s able to display his natural personality and effervescence.”

Murphy loves to be self-deprecating, which always lightens the mood. And he loves to make sports analogies. He compared the startup community at Cambridge to the Oakland Raiders of the 1970s (hard to explain, but it worked).

But it’s not all fun and games.

The delegation arrived in London the day after Murphy’s Democratic party suffered an overwhelming and crushing defeat in the presidential election — something that has been an around-the-clock topic of discussion in the UK since he arrived.

From the first fireside chat and the first roundtable discussion, Murphy openly and honestly discussed what the result potentially means for his party, the state and the country. He didn’t shy away from the topic.

That impressed Dr. Massood Ahmed, the head of a digital health startup, Vilvio.

Ahmed said he didn’t think the governor would discuss the election — and wasn’t sure if he should bring it up. Once Murphy did, Ahmed asked follow-up questions, which Murphy handled.

“That showed me and the others here that this is someone who is going to address issues head on,” he said.

Murphy doesn’t understand all the fuss.

To him, if he’s going to make an international trip to meet dozens of business and government leaders, why wouldn’t he lay all his cards on the table.

“It always surprises me when people are surprised that I’m willing to tell the truth,” he said. “I guess others don’t do that, but not all politicians are the same.”