Lucan, South Dublin, Ireland
Specialties: Artificial intelligence in education, UDL (Universal Design for Learning), online teaching, teaching & consulting in project and risk management, photography training. Author of 17 books - 7 on AI, a Project Management textbook, a guide to AI Governance in Irish Finance, a guide to risk management for non-profits, and 7 Photography guides. I also write a bi-weekly LinkedIn newsletter on AI with more than 3,400 subscribers. Currently directing & lecturing on Management programmes at UCD Smurfit Graduate School of Business. I also consult & coach in the areas of : - using AI in education - risk management - problem projects - project management processes - charity governance & management. Houghton Photography - I also run Houghton Photography offering photography services & training. I am an Adobe Certified Expert in Lightroom. I was Nikon's trainer in Ireland from 2006-2018. I released my first book "Streets of Dublin: a street photography guide" in Sept 2019 my second "Take Your Time - the art and craft of long exposure photography" in July 2021 & book 3 - "Picture Perfect" a beginner's guide to digital photography in 2023. All available on Amazon and as audio books. I regularly deliver talks all over the world to camera clubs on a number of topics. In 2005, after completing my International Executive MBA, I left a global management position with General Electric to move into educating and consulting. Up to then, I worked for 20 years in software and telemetry development, specialising in the management and implementation of mobile field force systems, CRM, Sales Force Automation. This involved managing and leading teams all over the world for a number of multi-national corporations including W.R. Grace, BetzDearborn, and General Electric. I currently serve as Chair of the Board at Shine, a large mental health charity. I was a commissioned Lay Minister with the Church of Ireland until 2014, and 2009-2012 served as Chairman of the Board at Pieta House Centre for the Prevention of Suicide & Self-Harm (www.pieta.ie).
Academic Director for the MSc in Project Management programmes & Assistant Professor. Member of UCD AI Teaching & Learning Advisory Committee. Currently lecturing on the MSc in Project Management (which I co-founded in 2005/6) as well as (varies by year) on the Management Consulting, Int. Business, MiM, Space Technology, MBA & PhD programmes. Deans List for Teaching Excellence 2023. 2021-2024 UCD Faculty partner helping with the rollout of UDL across the University. Member of UCD Earth Institute. Faculty Advisor to the student Enactus & Made in Africa teams who create social innovation projects each year during their time at UCD. Since 2008 I have run Charity projects with the students raising upwards of €800,000 for a variety of good causes whilst giving students the experience of running real projects for deserving organisations. I'm also a member of the UCD Mental Health First Aid Peer Support Panel, and as a Programme Director I sit on the Graduate School Taught Programme Board that oversees academic issues across the college.
HEA funded Faculty Partnership to assist the College of Business roll out Universal Design for Learning
Across late 2025 and early 2026, I created and ran a set of online teaching sessions for professors & teaching staff at the University of Aveiro, culminating in an in-person visit for a Festival of Education where I delivered a keynote, and then various professors showcased how they had implemented AI into their teaching activities.
Houghton Consulting (www.houghton.consulting) specialises in AI training and implementation for education, corporate, and nonprofit sectors across Ireland and Europe. Core services: - AI readiness assessments and strategic planning - Customised AI training programmes for adult learners - UDL-informed instructional design - Risk management and governance frameworks - Project management consulting All training programmes are designed using Universal Design for Learning principles to ensure accessibility for all participants. 2023-2026 Numerous seminars and training sessions on the use of Artificial Intelligence in education to UCD and other educational institutions, colleges and schools and Dept of Defence. Masterclasses to the IMCA on AI in business, and numerous engagements in the diary out to 2027 on this topic. 2021-2026 Business skills and project management training for all Govt Departments Risk training for TUATH, The Wheel, Disability Federation Ireland Management training for Accounting Technicians Ireland, Dept of Foreign Affairs, Maynooth University, Naas General Hospital, SHINE 2020 Risk training for TUATH, The Wheel, Disability Federation Ireland Management team coaching for Disability Federation Ireland 2015-2019 Risk training - TUSLA Southern Region, Cork 2019 Risk training - TUSLA National Risk team, Dublin 2016-2018 Risk workshops for The Wheel and multiple charities and non-profits 2016 PMO redesign, setup and training - AMGEN
Member of a cross functional working group established to look at how AI is used and implemented across University College Dublin.