Vulcan Consulting has established an office in Belfast to add to its existing operations in Dublin and Brussels.
Conor Houston, a solicitor and businessman, has been appointed as Northern Ireland director at Vulcan in what the firm said was its commitment to drive growth and add to its service offering for clients across the island.
Lucinda Creighton’s Vulcan Consulting specialises in providing strategic advice on how to overcome political and regulatory hurdles across Europe. Its clients include Amazon, Intel, Bank of America, Eli Lilly and Johnson & Johnson.
Mr Houston has worked as a solicitor, in business and in politics, including 18 months as chief executive of the SDLP party in Northern Ireland. He established his own consulting firm – Conor Houston Associates – last September.
As a solicitor, he represented clients at the supreme courts of the UK and the Republic and was involved in many high-profile cases. Through his own management consulting firm, he provided advice to government and businesses during Brexit.
“Conor has a distinguished career in law, politics and business, giving him unique insights and the ability to influence via his unparalleled network,” Ms Creighton said.
“We look at Northern Ireland as an underserviced market and we’ll be working with companies there – multinationals and indigenous businesses – to advise them on EU regulatory issues.”
Mr Houston, who was also previously a board member of The Irish Times Trust for almost five years, said: “I am delighted to ... bring my experience to maximise the influence of Northern Ireland’s leading companies in Ireland, the EU and beyond. There is huge opportunity to support companies seeking to develop an all-island presence.
“With offices in Brussels, Dublin and now Belfast, I know that our team at Vulcan can bring the global insight, influence and perspective to navigate this fast-changing world.”
Vulcan was founded by Ms Creighton in 2016. In addition to its offices, it is part of the international Fipra network and the Washington DC-based Vogel Group.
Vulcan has a team of 18 staff and a number of advisers. Its chairman is Ms Creighton’s husband, Paul Bradford, who is formerly a Fine Gael TD and senator.
Ms Creighton was a TD from 2007 until 2016, first with Fine Gael and later as the leader of Renua, a party she helped to form. She was minister for European affairs from 2011 to 2013.
