10: M&A Zing (Ep. 10) – The Exiteer Playbook: Rachel Murphy on 8× Exits, NHS‑App & “The Grafter”

In this episode of M&A Zing, hosts Alfie Lambert and Gareth Wilkins sit down with health‑tech powerhouse Rachel Murphy. Rachel has worn every hat—contractor, NHS digital‑transformation chief, two‑time founder, and, most recently, CEO of The Grafter, a programme that helps entrepreneurs get “growth‑ready, raise‑ready, and exit‑ready.” She explains how she bought 50 % of a recruitment firm (Difrent) with zero cash, pivoted it to outcome‑based consulting, and sold four‑and‑a‑half years later for an eight‑times EBITDA multiple—right in the middle of COVID. Rachel also reveals why she took a post‑exit sabbatical that involved Ukraine aid convoys and a psilocybin retreat, and how those experiences shaped Grafter’s new “Life & Legacy” module for founders facing post‑liquidity whiplash. Other topics: the rise of “Exiteers” (mentors with multiple exits), why B2B lead‑gen is still every founder’s nemesis, and Rachel’s public call for a UK version of America’s SBA 7(a) loan programme. Whether y