David McMurtry
Sir David McMurtry | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 March 1940 Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 9 December 2024 (aged 84) Gloucestershire, England |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, inventor |
| Years active | 1958–2024 |
| Known for | Co-founder and executive chairman of Renishaw plc |
| Notable work | Trigger probe invention |
Sir David Roberts McMurtry (5 March 1940 – 9 December 2024) was a billionaire entrepreneur of Irish-British descent, known as the co-founder and executive chairman of Renishaw plc, which stands as the UK's foremost provider of metrology instruments. By December 2024, his fortune was valued at approximately US$1.3 billion.
Early life and education
McMurtry was born in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland, and received his schooling at Mountjoy School in Dublin before relocating to the United Kingdom in 1958.
Career
Starting his professional journey in 1958, McMurtry served as an apprentice at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Following a corporate acquisition, he transitioned to Rolls-Royce Holdings, where he rose to the positions of Deputy Chief Designer and Assistant Chief of Engine Design based in Filton. In 1973, during his work on the engines for the Concorde, he invented his initial trigger probe. Additionally, he played a role in developing the Turbo-Union RB199 engine.
Together with John Deer, McMurtry established Renishaw plc in 1973. The company entered the Unlisted Securities Market in 1983 and secured a full stock exchange listing by 1984. In 1987, he purchased the patents for his trigger probes from Rolls-Royce and began commercializing them. His contributions earned him the title of Royal Designer for Industry in 1989.
McMurtry relinquished his role as CEO of Renishaw in 2018, with William Lee succeeding him. In March 2021, McMurtry and Deer revealed intentions to divest their collective 53% ownership stake, initiating a formal sale procedure for Renishaw; however, this process concluded in July 2021 without any acceptable bids.
In June 2024, he resigned from his position as executive chairman but continued to serve as a non-executive director. The Sunday Times Rich List 2024 assessed his wealth at £1.2 billion, placing him as the UK's 135th wealthiest individual.
Personal life and death
Married to Teresa Adams since 1966, McMurtry was a father to three children. He resided in Wotton-under-Edge, England. Beginning in 2001, he undertook the construction of Swinhay House, described as a "£30m futuristic eco-house," which later appeared on the BBC series Sherlock. McMurtry passed away at age 84 on 9 December 2024 in Gloucestershire.
Awards and honours
In recognition of his achievements, McMurtry was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise in 1979. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1994 for his contributions to Science and Technology and received a knighthood in 2001 for services related to Design and Innovation.
He held honorary fellowships at Cardiff University and was a fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Elected as a fellow of the SME in 1988, he also received the prestigious MacRobert Award. His honorary doctorates include those from Heriot-Watt University (1998), the University of Bath (2008), and the University of Huddersfield (2017). In 2001, he became a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, followed by election to the Fellow of the Royal Society in 2011. Among other distinctions, he earned the Katharine Burr Blodgett Medal and Prize in 2012 and was honored with the James Watt International Gold Medal in 2019.
See also
External links
- Biography of David McMurtry on the official site of Renishaw plc
- Profile of David McMurtry at Forbes
- David McMurtry featured by the International Academy for Production Engineering
- Collection of patents by David McMurtry on Justia
- 1940 births
- 2024 deaths
- People from Clontarf, Dublin
- Businesspeople from County Dublin
- Bristol Aeroplane Company
- Concorde
- Irish businesspeople
- Irish billionaires
- Irish inventors
- Irish industrial designers
- Irish knights
- 20th-century Irish businesspeople
- 21st-century Irish businesspeople
- People educated at Mount Temple Comprehensive School
- Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
- Knights Bachelor
- Fellows of the Royal Society
- Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering
- Fellows of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
- Royal Designers for Industry
- MacRobert Award winners
- People associated with Cardiff University
- People associated with Heriot-Watt University
- People associated with the University of Bath
- People associated with the University of Huddersfield
- People from Wotton-under-Edge
- British billionaires
- British inventors
- British industrial designers
- Panavia Tornado
- Rolls-Royce people
- 20th-century British businesspeople
- 21st-century British businesspeople