{{Short description |British businessman }} {{Infobox person | name = Matthew Robinson Riley | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1974|02}} | birth_place = United Kingdom | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = Businessman | years_active = | known_for = Founder and executive chairman of communication company Daisy Group | notable_works = }}
'''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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DAISY TOPCO LIMITED people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/15528339/officers |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Maguire |first=Chris |date=2025-05-13 |title=Matthew Riley: The ultimate dealmaker |url=https://businesscloud.co.uk/news/matthew-riley-the-ultimate-dealmaker/ |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=BusinessCloud |language=en}}</ref>
== 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.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=2007-11-19 |title=Young entrepreneur's as fresh as a Daisy! |url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/1844005.young-entrepreneurs-fresh-daisy/ |access-date=2025-05-30 |work=Lancashire Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>
== Career == Riley later worked as UK sales manager for the German telecommunications company DeTeWe AG, a position he held until 1999.<ref name=":1" /> 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.<ref name=":1" />
In 2001, Riley established Daisy Group.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DAISY COMMUNICATIONS LTD. overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04145329 |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Daisy founder Riley eyes full control in £1.6bn deal |url=https://news.sky.com/story/daisy-founder-riley-eyes-full-control-in-1-6bn-deal-11398519 |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=Sky News |language=en}}</ref> The company expanded through a series of acquisitions, listing on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in 2009 before returning to private ownership in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-07-21 |title=Daisy Group lists on AIM |url=https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/4966/daisy-group-lists-on-aim-6740.html |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=Proactiveinvestors UK |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Daisy accepts £500m investor buyout to take group private |url=https://www.ft.com/content/88994e62-5853-11e4-a31b-00144feab7de |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=www.ft.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":2" /> In May 2025, Daisy Group merged with Virgin Media O2.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Virgin Media O2 and Daisy unite to form £3bn business telecoms group |url=https://news.sky.com/story/virgin-media-o2-and-daisy-unite-to-form-3bn-business-telecoms-group-13366453 |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=Sky News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-12 |title=UK's Virgin Media O2 and Daisy Group combine in business telecoms |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/12/uks-virgin-media-o2-and-daisy-group-combine-in-business-telecoms-.html |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Media |first=Insider |date=2017-01-20 |title=Successful entrepreneur joins Time Out Group - Insider Media |url=https://www.insidermedia.com/news/north-west/successful-entrepreneur-joins-time-out-group |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=Insider Media Ltd |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=IQ |first=S&P Capital |date=2023-02-01 |title=Tialis Essential IT PLC Announces Appointment of Matt Riley as A Non-Executive Director {{!}} MarketScreener |url=https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/TIALIS-ESSENTIAL-IT-PLC-6344779/news/Tialis-Essential-IT-PLC-Announces-Appointment-of-Matt-Riley-as-A-Non-Executive-Director-42878564/ |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=www.marketscreener.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Completion of Acquisition – Company Announcement - FT.com |url=https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/detail?dockey=1323-15819380-43OEJVFS3T9VO0L276CD6NJK8U |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=markets.ft.com}}</ref> He appeared as a guest interviewer on the BBC Television series, The Apprentice in 2011 and 2012.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-07-16 |title=Nelson businessman Matthew Riley grills Apprentice finalists |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-14140379 |access-date=2025-05-30 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-07-13 |title=“You're hired!” Matthew Riley Joins The Apprentice |url=https://commsbusiness.mabdev.co.uk/content/news/you-re-hired-matthew-riley-joins-the-apprentice/ |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=Comms Business |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-07-17 |title=Nelson entrepreneur to interview Apprentice finalists tonight |url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/9135518.nelson-entrepreneur-interview-apprentice-finalists-tonight/ |access-date=2025-05-31 |work=Lancashire Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>
== Recognition == Riley has received several UK business awards, including:
* Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Ernst & Young (2007)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-06-21 |title=Daisy CEO wins Entrepreneur of the Year Award |url=https://www.commsbusiness.co.uk/content/news/daisy-ceo-wins-entrepreneur-of-the-year-award/ |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=Comms Business |language=en}}</ref> * Dealmaker of the Year, City Awards (2010)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-05-24 |title=Matthew Riley named “Dealmaker of the Year” |url=https://commsbusiness.mabdev.co.uk/content/news/matthew-riley-named-dealmaker-of-the-year/ |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=Comms Business |language=en}}</ref> * Outstanding Achievement Award, ICT Forum (2019)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Comms Dealer - ICT Investment Forum award winners announced |url=https://www.comms-dealer.com/ict-investment-forum/ict-investment-forum-award-winners-announced-0 |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=www.comms-dealer.com}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Matthew}} Category:Living people Category:British technology company founders Category:20th-century English businesspeople Category:21st-century English businesspeople Category:English company founders Category:1974 births