Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 3, 2026

Matthew Riley

Matthew Riley is a British businessman and the founder and executive chairman of Daisy Group, a UK-based provider of business communications and IT services.

Last revised
Jul 3, 2026
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Matthew Robinson Riley
BornFebruary 1974 (age 52)
United Kingdom
OccupationBusinessman
Known forFounder and executive chairman of communication company Daisy Group

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.12

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.23

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.45 The company expanded through a series of acquisitions, listing on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in 2009 before returning to private ownership in 2014.67 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 O2.89

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.101112 He appeared as a guest interviewer on the BBC Television series, The Apprentice in 2011 and 2012.131415

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
References

References

  1. "DAISY TOPCO LIMITED people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
  2. Maguire, Chris (2025-05-13). "Matthew Riley: The ultimate dealmaker". BusinessCloud. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
  3. "Young entrepreneur's as fresh as a Daisy!". Lancashire Telegraph. 2007-11-19. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
  4. "DAISY COMMUNICATIONS LTD. overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
  5. "Daisy founder Riley eyes full control in £1.6bn deal". Sky News. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
  6. "Daisy Group lists on AIM". Proactiveinvestors UK. 2009-07-21. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
  7. "Daisy accepts £500m investor buyout to take group private". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
  8. "Virgin Media O2 and Daisy unite to form £3bn business telecoms group". Sky News. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
  9. "UK's Virgin Media O2 and Daisy Group combine in business telecoms". CNBC. 2025-05-12. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
  10. Media, Insider (2017-01-20). "Successful entrepreneur joins Time Out Group - Insider Media". Insider Media Ltd. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
  11. IQ, S&P Capital (2023-02-01). "Tialis Essential IT PLC Announces Appointment of Matt Riley as A Non-Executive Director | MarketScreener". www.marketscreener.com. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
  12. "Completion of Acquisition – Company Announcement - FT.com". markets.ft.com. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
  13. "Nelson businessman Matthew Riley grills Apprentice finalists". BBC News. 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
  14. ""You're hired!" Matthew Riley Joins The Apprentice". Comms Business. 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
  15. "Nelson entrepreneur to interview Apprentice finalists tonight". Lancashire Telegraph. 2011-07-17. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2025-05-31.
  16. "Daisy CEO wins Entrepreneur of the Year Award". Comms Business. 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
  17. "Matthew Riley named "Dealmaker of the Year"". Comms Business. 2010-05-24. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
  18. "Comms Dealer - ICT Investment Forum award winners announced". www.comms-dealer.com. Retrieved 2025-05-30.