[2][3] Hourican started his career as an accountant with Price Waterhouse, initially in Dublin, and later in London and Hong Kong.
[4] In 2007, Hourican became chief financial officer of ABN Amro after Royal Bank of Scotland purchased it in October 2007.
[2][5] Hourican quit to "demonstrate responsibility", following RBS's £390 million fine for its involvement in the Libor scandal, although he was not personally implicated.
[6] The Independent noted that Hourican "fell on his sword" and that "the City wondered if he could recover his career", but added "it had never been alleged that the head of RBS's investment bank knew about the collusion".
At the position, he inflicted losses on depositors and a forced takeover on its smaller rival Cyprus Popular Bank.