Phil Houston

Phil Houston is a nationally recognized authority on deception detection, critical interviewing, and elicitation. His 25-year career with the Central Intelligence Agency was highlighted by his service as a senior member of the Office of Security. In that capacity he conducted thousands of interviews and interrogations for the CIA and other federal agencies, both as an investigator and as a polygraph examiner. He is credited with developing a detection of deception methodology currently employed throughout the U.S. intelligence and federal law enforcement communities. The scope of Phil’s work has covered criminal activity, personnel security, and key national security matters, including counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism. The fact that many of his interviews were conducted in foreign countries, coupled with six years of residence overseas, has given him unique insight and extensive experience in dealing with foreign cultures, particularly in the Far East.

Phil introduced the detection of deception methodology to the corporate world with the co-founding of Business Intelligence Advisors, where he served as Executive Vice President and worked with the company’s largest clients in the U.S. and abroad. The story of his success in creating a commercial application and market for the detection of deception methodology is featured in the book,Broker, Trader, Lawyer, Spy by CNBC reporter Eamon Javers.

Phil is co-author of The New York Times bestsellers Spy the Lie and Get the Truth. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C.