Robert Hough was born in Urmston, near Manchester, and educated at William Hulme's Grammar School in Manchester. He graduated in law from Bristol University and was admitted as a solicitor in 1970. From 1974 to 1989, he was a partner with a major firm of solicitors in Manchester specialising in corporate, commercial and banking law.

He was Chairman of the Manchester Ship Canal Company from 1987 to 2002 and has been a Director of Peel Holdings since 1986 and its Deputy Chairman from 1989, becoming non-executive Deputy Chairman in 2002. He has also been Chairman of Liverpool Airport since 1997. Peel is a substantial property, transport and energy group.

He has had broad commercial and business experience outside Peel and is currently a nonexecutive Director of Provident Financial PLC, Styles & Wood Group PLC and other private companies and was previously non-executive Chairman of the Cheshire Building Society and a non-executive Director of Alfred McAlpine plc and Brammer plc and other listed companies.

He has also made a substantial contribution to the regeneration of the North West Region and was the Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Manchester Commonwealth Games from 1995 to 1999 and then its Vice-President and also Mayor of the Games Village during the Games. Since
2002, he has been Chairman of New East Manchester Limited, the urban regeneration company responsible for the physical, social and economic regeneration of a disadvantaged area in that part of the City.

Robert Hough is also currently a Deputy Chair of the Northwest Regional Development Agency and acts as lead Board member for Lancashire. He is also a membèr of The Northern Way Steering Group and a Board member of Northwest Business Link.

He is a Governor of the University of Manchester and is also a member of the North West Business Leadership Team and was its Chairman for nearly four years until December 2003.

He has been a member of the North West Regional Assembly Executive Board and the North West Regional Assembly and was previously Chairman of the North West Regional Review Group; he is also a former Director of The Mersey Partnership and a past President ofthe Manchester Chamber of Commerce & Industry; a past Trustee of The Lowry in Salford; a past Governor of William Hulme's Grammar School and was a member of the Board of the Manchester Business School for five years.