Matthew Riley

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.

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.

Career Riley later worked as UK sales manager for the German telecommunications company DeTeWe AG, a position he held until 1999. The company expanded through a series of acquisitions, listing on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in 2009 before returning to private ownership in 2014. 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.

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. He appeared as a guest interviewer on the BBC Television series, The Apprentice in 2011 and 2012.

Recognition Riley has received several UK business awards, including:

Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Ernst & Young (2007) Dealmaker of the Year, City Awards (2010) Outstanding Achievement Award, ICT Forum (2019)