Neil McArthur (born 1956/1957) is a British businessman, the founder of

Opal Telecom TalkTalk Business (trading name of TalkTalk Communications Ltd) is a business broadband, telephone, mobile phone and IT support provider owned by TalkTalk Group. The division supports approximately 180,000 UK businesses, and 350 resellers, tha ...

, former MD of

TalkTalk Technology TalkTalk Telecom Group plc (commonly known as TalkTalk Group, trading as TalkTalk) is a company which provides pay television and Internet access services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 2003 as a subsidiar ...

, and now head of group innovation for TalkTalk.

Early life

McArthur was born and grew up in Carr Road,

Irlam Irlam is a suburb in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, it had a population of 19,933. It lies on flat ground on the south side of the M62 motorway and the north bank of the Manchester Ship Canal, southwest of Salford ...

, the son of a steel worker at the former Irlam Steel Works, and a librarian. McArthur earned a degree in engineering from the

University of Essex The University of Essex is a public university, public research university in Essex, England. Established by royal charter in 1965, Essex is one of the original plate glass university, plate glass universities. Essex's shield consists of the an ...

. He is a fellow of the Institutes of Engineering and Technology and a fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

Honours and Appointments

In 1992, he was awarded an MBE for his services to engineering. He received an honorary doctorate from the

. McArthur is a member of the advisory board of the University of Essex Business School, chairman and a trustee of the Hamilton Davies Trust charity and chairman of the Manchester Tech Trust. He is also a member of the University of Manchester's board of governors.

Personal life

He is married to Anne, and lives in

Glazebrook Rixton-with-Glazebrook is a civil parish in the Borough of Warrington, Cheshire, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it lies to the east of Warrington and borders Cadishead, and is largely farmland. It has a railway station at Glazebrook ...

, Cheshire.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McArthur, Neil Living people 1950s births British company founders Alumni of the University of Essex TalkTalk Group people People from Salford