Malcolm John Methven was born on 14 February 1926 in Ledbury, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm David Methven OBE, and his wife, Helen Marion Watson.
[1] Methven was educated at Mill Hill School and then studied law at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.
In 1968 he was placed in charge of purchasing and in 1970 became Deputy Chairman of ICI's Mond division.
He left ICI in 1973 to become the first Director General of the newly created Office of Fair Trading.
[1] He died in King Edward VII Hospital, London on 23 April 1980 of a heart attack following a routine operation aged 54.