The chief executive of Leeds City Council, Tom Riordan, has announced that he will be standing down from the post at the end of the year.
Riordan has been leading the local authority for fourteen years and has helped Leeds to secure many milestones during his tenure, including an impressive house building programme, the move of Channel 4 into the city, and securing a devolution deal for West Yorkshire.
Downtown in Business Group chair and chief executive Frank McKenna said:
“Tom is one of the most impressive local authority chief executives in the country. He encouraged me to establish the DIB brand in Leeds back in 2012, and we have had a strong working relationship ever since. Always open, honest, and with a passion not just for the city, but for Yorkshire and the wider North, his understanding and appreciation of positive engagement with the business community has allowed Leeds to develop a range of public-private sector partnerships during his time in post – resulting in significant regeneration and economic growth for Leeds.
“I know how frustrated he has been in recent times about the huge financial constraints that local government has come under. Nevertheless, he has never shied away from those challenges, and has always met them with an optimistic and ambitious outlook.
“I wish him all the very best in what he does next – and hopefully we will still be working with him, whatever that new journey may be.”
Tom Riordan will be the guest speaker at DIBs next Leaders Lunch in Leeds on Tuesday 11th June. CLICK HERE for details.
