Sir David Roberts McMurtry (5 March 1940 – 9 December 2024) was an Irish-British billionaire businessman, who was the co-founder and executive chairman of Renishaw plc, the UK's largest supplier of metrology equipment. As of December 2024, his net worth was estimated at US$1.3 billion.[1]
Early life and education
David Roberts McMurtry was born the second child of Frederick and Margaret McMurtry, on 5 March 1940, in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland.[2] He was brought up in Dublin and educated at Mountjoy School (now the Mount Temple Comprehensive School) in Dublin.[3] McMurtry moved to the UK at the age of 18, in 1958.[4]
Career
McMurtry joined Bristol Aeroplane Company as an apprentice in 1958.[5] In 1966, following an acquisition, he found himself employed by Rolls-Royce Holdings 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 2018, McMurtry stepped down as chief executive of Renishaw and was replaced by marketing and sales director William Lee.[9]
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.[10] This process was terminated on 7 July 2021, after the board concluded that none of the proposals met their objectives.[11]
In June 2024, McMurtry stepped down as executive chairman of Renishaw and remained on the board as a non-executive director.[12]
McMurtry married Teresa Adams in 1966, who survives him, and had three children.[14][15][2] He lived in Wotton-under-Edge, England.[1]
In 2001, McMurtry started working on Swinhay House. After it was completed, the "£30m futuristic eco-house" appeared in an episode of the BBC television series Sherlock.[16]
