Kristina Murrin

Kristina Murrin CBE, née Hunt, is an Australian-born United Kingdom-based innovator and former policy advisor to both the Blair and Cameron governments. Most recently, she jointly led the twelve-person policy and implementation team at No 10. Downing Street.^[1]

Early life and education

Murrin was born in Sydney, Australia, and lived in Pittsburgh and Crete before moving permanently to London. Her father, John Hunt, is Emeritus Professor of Organisational Behaviour at the London Business School. Her sister is Jay Hunt, chief creative officer at Channel 4.

Murrin was educated at the independent Lady Eleanor Holles School in Hampton, West London, followed by St John's College at the University of Cambridge, where she read Social and Political Sciences.

Career

Murrin started her career as a marketing trainee at Procter and Gamble, before ending up as Brand Manager for household names such as Old Spice and Crest. In 2002 she left to join a fledgling innovation business, What If. Alongside a small team of partners, she helped build it into the world's largest independent innovation consultancy.

Between 2001-2006, Murrin served as an associate of Tony Blair's PMDU, or Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit. The Unit was tasked with monitoring progress of the government’s Public Service Agreements (PSAs).

In 2007 she was appointed as non-executive Director of the newly formed Department for Universities, Innovation, and Skills, helping to oversee its £20 billion budget.

She sold her share in What If, in 2008, and took up a role as Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. In 2010 Murrin was appointed as Director of Implementation at No10 Downing Street, a new post created to monitor departmental business plans, and to track and report on their progress, to the Prime Minister. Radically, Murrin chose to publish monthly reports stating which departments and ministers were on track with major policy implementations, and which were falling behind. It was a position which she held through a period of structural change,^[2] until leaving in January 2013.^[3]

Murrin was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to the Prime Minister's Office.^[4]

Books

Alongside her corporate and governmental career, Murrin has also authored four books:

• How to Start a Creative Revolution^[5]
• What Worries Parents^[6]
• Healthy Happy Children^[7]
• Honey, We're Killing the Kids^[8]

Honey, We're Killing the Kids was also turned into a BBC TV programme,^[9] which Murrin hosted for three series. She also presented the Channel 4 environmental programme, The Woman Who Stops Traffic.^[10]

Personal

She is married and has three children. She lives in London.

References