John Houston

This article is part of the Lobbying Portal, a sunlight project from Spinwatch.

John Houston is considered one of the most influential financial sector lobbyists in Brussels. He is a former member of the Cabinet of the European Commissioner responsible for financial services and ran his own lobbying consultancy for many years until becoming a senior partner at public relations firm Kreab Gavin Anderson

Biographical information

John Houston is a senior public affairs consultant and one of the most prominent Brussels consultants in the financial services policy field. He has advised several of the world’s largest companies and financial institutions on EU matters. He has been in the consultancy business since 1988, initially in the City of London and since 1990 in Brussels. Previously, John was a member of the Cabinet of the European Commissioner responsible for financial services, a political journalist, and a special advisor to the British foreign minister. He was the founding chairman of the European Public Affairs Consultancies Association.

According to the Financial News he has been described by one banking sector public relations professional as the best industry lobbyist in Brussels.

Houston used to run his own eponymous consultancy and has worked for most major banks at some point. A former member of the cabinet of the European Commissioner responsible for financial services, he started his consultancy career in the late 1980s in the City of London before moving to Brussels in 1990. He was the founding chairman of the lobbying industry body the European Public Affairs Consultancies Association and sits on its management committee.

Affiliations

• European Public Affairs Consultancies Association - founding chairman