Image source, OtherImage caption, Richard Howson was chief executive of Carillion between 2012 and July 2017ByCaroline GallWest MidlandsPublished17 February 2026 The former boss of collapsed construction giant Carillion has been fined by the UK's finance watchdog for acting "recklessly" and misleading others over the firm's precarious financial position. Richard Howson, chief executive between 2012 and July 2017, was fined £237,000 by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), after he withdrew his challenge to its findings. Howson was aware of the serious financial troubles in the firm's UK construction business but "did not respond appropriately to the warning signs", the FCA said. The outsourcing business, based in Wolverhampton, which employed about 43,000 people including 19,000 in the UK, collapsed in January 2018 with debts of about £1.5bn. It was one of the UK's biggest construction and facilities management companies, with several major government contracts. But its failure and subsequent liquidation caused delays in the construction of the Midland Metropolitan Hospital in Smethwick and the £335m Royal Liverpool Hospital.
Published: February 17, 2026 3:58 pm
Source: BBC — Read original