Richard Howson

Howson was educated at Settle College,{{cite web|url=http://www.settlecollege.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/03/Settle-College-Matters-March-2016.pdf|title=Settle College Matters|accessdate=17 January 2018}} and earned a bachelor's degree in construction management from Leeds Polytechnic.{{cite web|url=https://www.speakers4schools.org/news/carillion-ceo-encourages-students-to-consider-engineering/|title=Carillion CEO Encourages Students to Consider Engineering – Speakers for Schools|author=|date=|website=www.speakers4schools.org|accessdate=17 January 2018}}

Howson worked at Balfour Beatty, Bovis, and Tarmac before becoming operations director for the Carillion Building business in 1999. In March 2004 he was promoted to national construction director on the Carillion Building senior management team, before becoming managing director of Carillion Rail in 2006, and then managing director of Carillion's Middle East and North African operations in 2007.{{cite web|url=https://www.bitc.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are/richard-howson|title=Richard Howson|work=Business in the Community |date=23 July 2013 |accessdate=3 January 2018}} Howson was appointed chief operating officer of Carillion in September 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.insider.co.uk/news/carillion-chief-join-wood-group-9868994|title=Carillion chief to join Wood Group board|publisher=Insider.co.uk|date=15 April 2016|accessdate=28 October 2017}}

Howson was appointed as chief executive officer of Carillion in December 2011. He stepped down in July 2017, following a profits warning that led to the company's shares falling almost 40%, with Keith Cochrane temporarily taking on the role.{{cite web|author=Julia Kollewe |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/10/carillion-boss-richard-howson-steps-down-shares-crash |title=Carillion boss steps down as shares crash 40% | Business |work=The Guardian |date=10 July 2017 |accessdate=10 July 2017}} Howson was asked to return his bonus, following the announcement of an £845 million impairment charge in its construction services division under his leadership at Carillion.{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/markets/article/carillion-investors-seek-bonus-clawback-from-former-executives-richard-howson-and-richard-adam-txvflqztd|title=Carillion investors seek bonus clawback from former executives Richard Howson and Richard Adam|first=John|last=Collingridge|date=|website=The Times|access-date=4 September 2017}} On 29 September 2017, it was revealed that Carillion's losses for the six months ended 30 June 2017 totaled £1.15 billion, following a further write-down of £200 million, this time in its support services division.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/09/29/carillion-announces-200m-writedowns-reveals-loss-115bn/|title=Carillion shares slump by a fifth as it reveals loss of £1.15bn|date=29 September 2017|publisher=The Telegraph|accessdate=10 October 2017}} On 15 January 2018, Carillion went into compulsory liquidation.{{cite news|title=Carillion to go into liquidation|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42687032#|accessdate=15 January 2018|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|date=15 January 2018}} The company is under formal investigation by the Financial Conduct Authority for the term Howson was CEO.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42551817|title=Carillion probed by financial watchdog|work=BBC News|date=3 January 2018|accessdate=3 January 2018}}

After giving evidence on 6 February 2018, Howson was one of several former Carillion directors described as "delusional characters" by House of Commons Select Committee chairs Frank Field (Work and Pensions) and Rachel Reeves (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy).{{cite web|author=Rob Davies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/feb/06/carillion-director-mp-executives-collapse |title=Former Carillion directors branded 'delusional' at MPs' Q&A | Business |work=The Guardian |date=1970-01-01 |accessdate=2018-02-08}} During evidence, the company claimed it was owed £200m in relation to the Msheireb Downtown Doha project in Qatar,{{cite news|last1=Withers|first1=Iain|last2=Curry|first2=Rhiannon|title=Former Carillion bosses to give explosive tesimony to MPs this week and pin blame on Qataris|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/02/03/former-carillion-bosses-give-explosive-tesimony-mps-try-pin/|accessdate=4 February 2018|work=Telegraph|date=4 February 2018}} and Howson said he felt like "a bailiff" in chasing the debt.{{cite news|title=I felt like a bailiff, says Howson|url=http://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/i-felt-like-a-bailiff-says-howson|accessdate=7 February 2018|work=The Construction Index|date=6 February 2018}} (Howson and the board's claim was disputed by Msheireb Properties,{{cite news|last1=Goodley|first1=Simon|last2=Topham|first2=Gwyn|title=Carillion executives accused of giving misleading evidence to MPs|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/feb/07/carillion-executives-accused-of-giving-misleading-evidence-to-mps|accessdate=8 February 2018|work=Guardian|date=7 February 2018}}{{cite news|last1=Harwood|first1=Anthony|title=Sheiks demand hearing to rebut Carillion's allegations of non-payments|url=http://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/sheiks-demand-hearing-to-rebut-carillions-allegations|accessdate=9 February 2018|work=The Construction Index|date=9 February 2018}} who were said to be considering a £200m claim against Carillion.){{cite news|last1=Curry|first1=Rhiannon|title=Qatari developer could bring legal action against Carillion|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/02/21/qatari-developer-could-bring-legal-action-against-carillion/|accessdate=21 February 2018|work=Telegraph|date=21 February 2018}}

Carillion investors said the board focused more on their pay than the company's performance,{{cite news|last1=Morby|first1=Aaron|title=Carillion bosses focused on their own pay rather than the company|url=http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/03/07/carillion-investors-question-kpmg-auditing/|accessdate=8 March 2018|work=Construction Enquirer|date=7 March 2018}} with the protection of directors' pay extending to the creation of a secret bank account for Howson's share-related bonuses.{{cite news|last1=Price|first1=David|title=Carillion agreed secret bonus account for Richard Howson|url=https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/news/contractors-news/carillion-agreed-secret-bonus-account-for-richard-howson-26-03-2018/|accessdate=26 March 2018|work=Construction News|date=26 March 2018}}

In the final report of the Parliamentary inquiry into the collapse of Carillion, published on 16 May 2018, Howson was severely criticised, described as "the figurehead for a business model that was doomed to fail".{{cite book|title=Carillion: Second Joint report from the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Work and Pensions Committees of Session 2017–19|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmworpen/769/769.pdf|date=2018|publisher=House of Commons|location=London|page=88|accessdate=16 May 2018}} The report continued:

:"... under him it careered progressively out of control. His misguided self-assurance obscured an apparent lack of interest in, or understanding of, essential detail, or any recognition that Carillion was a business crying out for challenge and reform. Right to the end, he remained confident that he could have saved the company had the board not finally decided to remove him. Instead, Mr Howson should accept that, as the longstanding leader who took Carillion to the brink, he was part of the problem rather than part of the solution."

The report also recommended that the Insolvency Service should consider whether the former Carillion directors, including Howson, could be disqualified from acting as a director.{{cite book|title=Carillion: Second Joint report from the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Work and Pensions Committees of Session 2017–19|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmworpen/769/769.pdf|date=2018|publisher=House of Commons|location=London|page=93|accessdate=16 May 2018}}

The parliamentary process and findings have been questioned by former Carillion executives as lacking in objectivity and thoroughness, treating a highly complex situation in an incomplete manner. Howson (whose letters were published by the select committees on 12 July 2018){{cite web |title=Carillion: Responses from Interested Parties to the Tenth Report of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee and Twelfth Report of the Work and Pensions Committee |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmworpen/1392/139203.htm |website=Parliament.uk |accessdate=13 July 2018}} contends that Carillion was a victim of its public sector clients and that “any analysis as to the causes of the failure of Carillion is not complete without looking at how government and the wider public sector procured services from Carillion and failed to administer payments.”{{cite news|last1=Howson|first1=Richard|title=What the MPs Missed|url=https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/what-the-mps-missed-by-richard-howson|accessdate=12 July 2018|work=The Construction Index|date=12 July 2018}}

In November 2020, the Financial Conduct Authority said some Carillion directors had "acted recklessly" and released "misleadingly positive" market updates before it collapsed. As a result, the FCA said it had sent notices to some (unnamed) former Carillion directors warning of possible enforcement action (possible sanctions include public censure, fines and suspensions from holding certain positions).{{cite news |last1=Price |first1=David |title=Carillion directors 'recklessly' misled the market, says watchdog |url=https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/carillion/carillion-directors-recklessly-misled-the-market-says-watchdog-13-11-2020/ |access-date=13 November 2020 |work=Construction News |date=13 November 2020}} In January 2021, the Insolvency Service said it would seek to ban eight former Carillion directors, including Howson, from holding senior boardroom positions.{{cite news |last1=Partington |first1=Richard |title=Legal bid launched to ban ex-Carillion directors from top boardroom roles |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jan/13/legal-bid-launched-ban-ex-carillion-directors-top-boardroom-roles |access-date=13 January 2021 |work=Guardian |date=13 January 2021}} In July 2022, the FCA announced it had decided to fine Howson £397,800; the former director was appealing against the penalty.{{cite news |last1=Prior |first1=Grant |title=Three former Carillion bosses fined £870k by watchdog |url=https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2022/07/28/three-former-carillion-bosses-fined-870k-by-fca/ |access-date=29 July 2022 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=28 July 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Stein |first1=Joshua |title=Former Carillion bosses face £870,000 fines |url=https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/carillion/former-carillion-bosses-facing-870000-fines-over-misleadingly-positive-accounts-28-07-2022/ |access-date=29 July 2022 |work=Construction News |date=28 July 2022}}

In October 2023, the Insolvency Service announced Howson had been disqualified from being a director of a UK company for eight years for his conduct as a director of Carillion.{{cite news |last1=Prior |first1=Grant |title=Former Carillion CEO banned for eight years |url=https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2023/10/04/former-carillion-ceo-banned-for-eight-years/ |access-date=5 October 2023 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=4 October 2023}}

Howson became a non-executive director of Wood Group in April 2016, but resigned on 17 January 2018, following the collapse of Carillion.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-42725610|title=Ex-Carillion boss resigns from Aberdeen oil services giant|work=BBC News|date=January 17, 2018|access-date=January 17, 2018}}

Banned from being a director of a UK company, Howson was appointed construction president of an American contractor - Tampa, Florida-based TECfusions - in January 2024.{{cite news |last1=Morby |first1=Aaron |title=Ex-Carillion boss lands senior role at US tech contractor |url=https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2024/01/24/ex-carillion-boss-lands-senior-role-at-us-contractor/ |access-date=24 January 2024 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=24 January 2024}}

Howson and his wife Geri own a home in Skipton, North Yorkshire, and a six-bedroom chalet in the French alpine ski resort of Châtel.{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/660k-carillion-boss-richard-howson-pictured-smiling-weeks-after-he-quit-firm-with-hefty-deal-a3741266.html|title=£660k Carillion boss pictured smiling weeks after he quit firm|author=|date=16 January 2018|website=standard.co.uk|accessdate=17 January 2018}} They have two sons.

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Category:1968 births

Category:Living people

Category:British chief executives

Category:Alumni of Leeds Beckett University

Category:People from Skipton

Category:Carillion people