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Sir David Roberts McMurtry (born 15 March 1940) is an Irish-British billionaire, the co-founder and executive chairman of Renishaw plc, the UK's largest supplier of metrology equipment. As of October 2021, his net worth was estimated at US$1.3 billion.[2]
Sir David McMurtry | |
|---|---|
| Born | David Roberts McMurtry 15 March 1940[1] Clontarf, Ireland |
| Education | Mountjoy School |
| Known for | Chairman and co-founder, Renishaw plc |
| Spouse | Teresa Adams |
| Children | 3 |
David Roberts McMurtry was born in 1940 in Clontarf, Ireland.[3] He was brought up in Dublin and educated at Mountjoy School (now the Mount Temple Comprehensive School) in Dublin.[4]
McMurtry joined Bristol Aero Engines as an apprentice in 1958.[5] In 1966, following an acquisition, he found himself employed by Rolls-Royce plc where he became Deputy Chief Designer and Assistant Chief of Engine Design at Filton.[5] In 1973, while working on Concorde's engines, he designed his first trigger probe.[5] He worked on the Turbo-Union RB199 engine.[6]
In 1973, he joined his former colleague John Deer to set up Renishaw plc.[5][2] The company floated on the Unlisted Securities Market in 1983, and gained a full listing the following year.[7] In 1987, McMurtry acquired the patents for his trigger probes from Rolls-Royce plc and began to exploit the patents himself.[5] In 1989, he became a Royal Designer for Industry.[8]
McMurtry was awarded the CBE in 1994[9] and was knighted in the 2001 New Year Honours.[10]
McMurtry received an honorary doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 1998.[11] In 2001, McMurtry was elected a Fellow[12] of the Royal Academy of Engineering.[12] In 2008, the University of Bath[13] awarded him an honorary doctorate. In 2011, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.[14] He won the Institute of Physics Swan Medal and Prize in 2012.[15]
In 2018, McMurtry stepped down as chief executive of Renishaw and was replaced by marketing and sales director William Lee.[16]
On 2 March 2021, McMurtry, along with John Deer, indicated that they wished to dispose of their entire holdings in Renishaw, comprising some 53% of the shares, as 'we recognise that neither of us is getting any younger'. The Renishaw board then announced that it was launching a formal sale process for the entire company.[17] This process was terminated on 7 July 2021, the board concluding that none of the proposals met their objectives.[18]
In June 2024, McMurtry stepped down as executive chairman of Renishaw but will remain on the board as a non-executive director.[19]
McMurtry and his wife, Teresa, have two sons and a daughter.[20] He lives in Wotton-under-Edge, England.[2]
In 2001, McMurtry started work on Swinhay House. Now complete, the "£30m futuristic eco-house" appeared in an episode of the BBC television series Sherlock.[3]
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