Kevin Houston OBE

Director
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Biography

Kevin is a highly experienced, multi-disciplined Managing Director with a proven track record of establishing and growing successful International Contact Centre & Business Process Outsourcing Businesses (including, CPP (Card Protection Plan), CableTel / NTL (Now Virgin Media), Stream International (Now Concentrix) & HCL BPO Services) over the past 30 years.
His early career includes over 20 years with a leading Irish Bank where he held a number of senior positions in Retail & Corporate Banking in both NI & London.

Kevin’s current role (since 2010) is as Founder and Managing Director of Houston Solutions Ltd, a bespoke leadership and business advisory consultancy which utilizes his extensive experience to assist private and public organizations develop strategies for sustainable growth. Interim Management assignments, Non-Executive Director roles & Business Mentor are all key features of his service offering and value add to a range of businesses.

Kevin is also a Business Mentor with Innovate-NI and Core Consulting.

Through his various leadership roles, he has delivered:

  • Significant growth in revenues, profitability & employee numbers in start-up / problem organisations
  • Major client change initiatives, including transition of processes inter- country & continent
  • Best in class people initiatives.  Kevin has directly managed over 2,000 people, won the prestigious European Call Centre of the Year Award in 2 consecutive years & delivered Investor in People Accreditation
  • Accreditation with Fellowship & Chartered Director Status by the Institute of Directors
  • Personal recognition through the award of an OBE in 2010 for services to business

Kevin has significant experience of working in Business Mentor, Interim Manager & Non-Executive Director roles with Invest NI (Business Growth & Leadership Programmes), Belfast City Council, NORIBIC (IFactory Innovation Coach), Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Business Mentoring Programme, Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council (Business Engagement Programme), Down District Council (Beyond Programme), North Down Borough Council (Signal Business Improvement Programme), Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council (ASK Programme) & Ballymena Borough Council (Build Your Business Programme).

Through these programmes he has assisted over 200 Micro Businesses & SMEs in a range of diverse sectors (Engineering, Manufacturing, Recycling, Retail, Services, IT, Medical and others) throughout Northern Ireland in developing plans for sustainable growth, raising finance, organisational change and business process improvement. Roles within these organisations have included Interim Management, Business Mentorship & Non-Executive Director support. He also works in a Non-Executive Director & Business Mentor capacity for number of private clients.

Allied to this Kevin has worked as part of a number of multi-cultural teams, have pre-requisite International experience and connections. His success has been recognised through the award of an OBE in the 2010 New Year Honours List for Services to Business. Kevin has also been accredited with Fellowship & Chartered Director Status by the Institute of Directors and hold a SFEDI Accreditation (MIOEE) for Enterprise Mentoring.

CONTACT INFO

Phone : +44 (0) 7580 101 372

Email : kevin@houstonsolutions.co.uk