Matthew Riley
British businessman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Matthew Riley (born February 1974) is a British businessman and the founder and executive chairman of Daisy Group, a UK-based provider of business communications and IT services.[1][2]
Matthew Robinson Riley | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 1974 (age 52) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Founder and executive chairman of communication company Daisy Group |
Early life
Riley left school at the age of 16 and entered a Youth Training Scheme (YTS) as a trainee fax machine engineer with the Burnley-based office technology company, FH Brown.[2][3]
Career
Riley later worked as UK sales manager for the German telecommunications company DeTeWe AG, a position he held until 1999.[3] In 1998, he founded Daisy Executive Search & Selection, followed by Coms Care in 1999, where he served as chief executive officer until the company was acquired in 2001.[3]
In 2001, Riley established Daisy Group.[4][5] The company expanded through a series of acquisitions, listing on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in 2009 before returning to private ownership in 2014.[6][7] In 2018, it was acquired by a consortium led by Toscafund in a deal reportedly valued at £1.6 billion, with Riley resuming his role as chairman.[5] In May 2025, Daisy Group merged with Virgin Media O2.[8][9]
Outside of Daisy Group, Riley has held non-executive roles, including chairman of the audit and remuneration committees of Time Out Group and non-executive director of Tialis Essential IT PLC.[10][11][12] He appeared as a guest interviewer on the BBC Television series, The Apprentice in 2011 and 2012.[13][14][15]
Recognition
Riley has received several UK business awards, including:
- Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Ernst & Young (2007)[16]
- Dealmaker of the Year, City Awards (2010)[17]
- Outstanding Achievement Award, ICT Forum (2019)[18]