Tom Riordan
Tom Riordan is an English civil servant who led Leeds City Council from August 2010 to September 2024. In 2020 he spent three months part-time with the UK government to help run the COVID-19 tracing system.
Riordan was born in Northallerton, North Yorkshire. He studied Modern History at Trinity College, Oxford, graduating in 1989, and earned an MBA from Imperial College in 1997. Because his parents had mental health problems, he spent short periods in care before age four. He joined the UK civil service fast stream in 1990 and worked on environmental policy, representing the UK in international talks on climate change and endangered species.
In 1997 he moved to Leeds and helped set up Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency. He became its chief executive in 2006, supporting thousands of businesses during the recession and leading regeneration and low-carbon projects.
Riordan became Chief Executive of Leeds City Council in August 2010. He completed a handover with the outgoing chief, Paul Rogerson. In 2021 he was shortlisted for the NHS Chief Executive role, which went to Amanda Pritchard. In September 2024 he announced he would leave Leeds City Council to take a position as Second Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care.
Riordan is married with two children. He enjoys football and supports Middlesbrough F.C. He has experience of mental health issues in his wider family.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 04:33 (CET).