Neil McArthur (born 1956/1957) is a British businessman, the founder of Opal Telecom, former MD of TalkTalk Technology, and now head of group innovation for TalkTalk.^[2]

McArthur was born and grew up in Carr Road, Irlam, the son of a steel worker at the former Irlam Steel Works, and a librarian.^[3]

McArthur earned a degree in engineering from the University of Essex.^[2] He is a fellow of the Institutes of Engineering and Technology and a fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.^[2]

McArthur began his career as an engineering apprentice at British Nuclear Fuels in 1972, later earning a BSc in Computer and Telecommunication Engineering from the University of Essex. In 1981, McArthur co-founded Thurnall PLC, an engineering business focused on control systems for various industries. As the nuclear industry declined in the mid-1990s, he pivoted the company's focus.^[4]

McArthur's most significant impact came in the telecom sector.^{[citation needed]} He founded Opal Telecom in the 1980s and was its CEO.^{[citation needed]} In 2002, he led Opal's merger with Carphone Warehouse to create TalkTalk, where he ran the technology division for eight years^{[citation needed]}.

In 2018, McArthur became CEO of FibreNation, a fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) startup backed by TalkTalk. Under his leadership, FibreNation was acquired by CityFibre in March 2020 for £200 million.^{[citation needed]}

In 1992, he was awarded an MBE for his services to engineering.^[2] He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.^[5]

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.^[2][6][7] He is also a member of the University of Manchester's board of governors.^[8][9] In 2024, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.