{{Short description|British businessman (1937–2001)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use British English|date=December 2015}} '''Sir Matthew Alistair Grant''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|FRSE}} (6 March 1937 – 22 January 2001) was a British businessman.
==Life== [[File:The grave of Sir Matthew Alistair Grant, Whitekirk churchyard.jpg|thumb|The grave of Sir Matthew Alistair Grant, Whitekirk churchyard]] He was born in [[Haddington, East Lothian]], the eldest of six children. His father was an [[RAF]] PE instructor and was initially educated at Knox Academy. The family moved to [[Bradford]] and he finished his education at [[Woodhouse Grove School]] in Yorkshire. He received a commission in the Royal Signal Corps whilst serving his National Service, with a view to thereafter go to [[Edinburgh University]]. However, he instead began as a management trainee for [[Unilever]]. His first position was at [[Batchelors]] pea and soup factory in Sheffield. In 1963 he moved to [[J Lyons & Co]], then spent some time in advertising.<ref>The Telegraph ( newspaper) obituary 24 January 2001</ref><ref>The Guardian (newspaper) obituary 30 January 2001</ref>
He then began working in the retail trade in the [[Argyll Foods|Argyll Group]] under [[James Gulliver]] and was evolved in the revival of the now extinct retail chain "Fine Fare".<ref>The Telegraph (newspaper) obituary, 24 January 2001</ref> He rose to be [[Chief Executive]] of the Argyll Group from 1986 to 1998, including taking over the "Safeway" chain in 1987. He was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in the 1992 [[New Year Honours]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=52767 |supp=y |date=30 December 1991 |page=2}}</ref>
In 1986 the company made an unsuccessful but expensive bid to take over the [[Distillers Company|Distillers' Company]], but were beaten by their rival Guinness PLC. This brought an effective end to the career of Jimmy Gulliver but Grant went on to great success expanding Safeway to the point where it became the third largest retail chain in Scotland. He retired from Safeway and the Argyll Group in 1997 and then became chairman of [[Scottish & Newcastle]] 1997–2000.<ref name="whoswho"/>
He served as Governor of the [[Bank of Scotland]] from 1998 to 1999 when he was forced to resign due to ill-health.<ref name="whoswho">[http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U17870 GRANT, Sir (Matthew) Alistair], ''Who Was Who'', A & C Black, 1920–2016 (online edition, Oxford University Press, 2014)</ref><ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1319123/Sir-Alistair-Grant.html Sir Alistair Grant] (obituary), ''The Telegraph'', London, 24 January 2001</ref>
In 1997 he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]]. His proposers were Michael J Baker, [[John Arbuthnott (microbiologist)|Sir John Arbuthnott]], John Spence and [[Neil Hood]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 – 2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf|access-date=29 July 2016|archive-date=24 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124115814/http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Grant lived in the library wing of [[Tyninghame House]]. He died of cancer on 22 January 2001 aged 63.<ref name="royalsoced">{{cite web|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/617_ObituariesG.html|title=Home – The Royal Society of Edinburgh|website=royalsoced.org.uk|accessdate=28 February 2018}}</ref> He is buried close to Tyninghame, in [[Whitekirk]] churchyard, in the new cemetery north of the church.
==Family==
In 1963 he married Judith Mary Dent. They had two sons, William and Matthew and one daughter, Victoria.
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://haddingtonshistory.org.uk/Resources-links Haddington's History Society] – 'A Haddington Boyhood' by Sir Alistair Grant
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Alistair}} [[Category:1937 births]] [[Category:2001 deaths]] [[Category:People educated at Woodhouse Grove School]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]] [[Category:Businesspeople awarded knighthoods]] [[Category:Knights Bachelor]] [[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh]] [[Category:Scottish chief executives]] [[Category:Scottish chairpersons of corporations]] [[Category:Governors of the Bank of Scotland]] [[Category:Anglo-Scots]] [[Category:People from Haddington]] [[Category:Deaths from cancer in England]] [[Category:20th-century Scottish businesspeople]]