About Us
Arena Partners is a professional services firm specializing in strategic advisory, complex program management and brand activation. Our journey began nearly a decade ago with a simple yet profound mission: to empower organizations across the private, public, and non-profit sectors to unlock their full potential. Today, we stand as a testament to the enduring value of that mission, having guided countless clients towards growth, optimized productivity, and transformational improvement.
Our expertise lies in crafting innovative strategies and delivering comprehensive program management solutions that resonate with the unique challenges and opportunities of each client. Whether you are looking to connect with new customers, launch a new product or brand, transform your operations, or simply drive higher returns on investment, our team is equipped with the insights and experience necessary to transform your vision into reality.
We pride ourselves on our diverse client base, ranging from tech startups to top universities, sports properties to government agencies, and non-profits to Fortune 100 companies. This diversity not only enriches our experience but also enables us to bring a broad perspective and innovative approaches to each project.
Our commitment extends well beyond consulting. We see ourselves as your partners in success, dedicated to your goals as if they were our own. With Arena Partners, you gain more than just a consultant; you gain a team of relentless advocates, driven by the belief that your success is our success.
We are driven by one of the most enduring quotes in history, continually challenging ourselves and our clients to get in the arena and dare greatly.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Theodore Roosevelt at The Sorbonne, Paris 1910
John Murray - Founder & Managing Partner
John is a seasoned strategist, business leader and consultant, specializing in transformational program design and execution. John’s experience working with leading companies, nonprofits and governments provides him with a broad perspective and a focus on balancing aspirational goals with pragmatic thinking, leading to solutions that deliver meaningful impact in real world conditions.
John has had a diverse range of experiences, bound together by a fierce competitive spirit and a desire to partner with the most elite brands in the world. He has had the privilege of working for multiple elite organizations, including the U.S. Marine Corps, McKinsey & Company, Accenture, and the U.S. Olympic Committee. As a Marine, John was selected to serve in the President’s helicopter squadron, he has advised Fortune 100 companies on their most critical issues, served as a senior executive for a U.S. Olympic Bid, and worked with governments around the world to become more competitive in a global economy.
John served as the Chief Bid Officer for the Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid Committee, a role that included direct responsibility for delivery of all key deliverables over a 3-year, $100 million campaign, including overseeing the U.S. presence at the 2009 IOC Congress in Copenhagen and executive producing the IOC Evaluation Committee visit to Chicago, managing more than 2,000 staff and 300 dignitaries & subject matter experts.
As the Global Managing Director for Accenture’s Delivering Public Service for the Future practice, John led the firm’s efforts with governments worldwide to identify and mitigate threats and to capture emerging opportunities for public & private sector organizations by implementing strategic initiatives informed by the analysis of global trends and predictive analytics.
John has played a significant role in making the City of Chicago more competitive as a destination for business, talent, and tourism. In 2011, he founded the Chicago Sports Commission as a pro bono effort, serving as inaugural Chairman and defining the strategic imperatives of the organization. Since its founding, the Commission has driven hundred of millions of dollars in economic impact by attracting new sport events to the City, including the NFL Draft, America’s Cup Sailing, International Rugby, NASCAR, and the NBA All-Star Game.
As an economic development effort for the City of Chicago, John created and produced the largest New Year’s Eve celebration in the City’s history, attracting 3.5 million television viewers across 45+ markets and generating 2.3 billion media impressions globally. He has served as an Emerging Leaders Fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, sat on the advisory boards of Chicago Ideas Week and the Civic Consulting Alliance, and as a member of the Economic Club of Chicago. He has also supported the transition efforts for Chicago Mayors Rahm Emanuel & Lori Lightfoot, and Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle.
John lives in Chicagoland with his wife, two daughters, and his best friend, Jake.
