Yorkshire Forward chief Riordan in running for city council top job

YORKSHIRE Forward chief executive Tom Riordan is a leading candidate to become the new chief executive of Leeds City Council.

Mr Riordan, who has won many friends among the business community during his four years running the regional development agency, is thought to be one of four candidates for the role with a £2bn annual budget and 30,000 employees.

Interviews are likely to take place next week and the other three candidates in the running to replace Paul Rogerson are believed to be from other local authorities in England.

Mr Riordan declined to comment on whether he has applied for the job when contacted by TheBusinessDesk.com.

The future of Yorkshire Forward and the other English RDAs will be in question if the Conservatives win the General Election on May 6 and it is likely that Mr Riordan feels that now is the right time to seek an ambitious new challenge that will allow his family to remain living in North Yorkshire.

It is thought that senior figures from all three main political parties on Leeds City Council privately encouraged him to apply for the role to replace Mr Rogerson who is retiring after 11 years as chief executive.

A number of senior figures at the council, including director of city development Jean Dent, are retiring this year and it is thought that the new chief executive will have the chance to reshape the executive team.

Yorkshire Forward chairman Terry Hodgkinson is retiring this year and the recruitment of his successor is currently taking place. If Mr Riordan is successful in gaining the role running Leeds then the RDA will then have to turn its attention to finding a new chief executive after the election.

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