Riordan is new Chief Executive

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 23, 2005

Tom Riordan is to succeed Martin Havenhand as Chief Executive of Yorkshire Forward.

Tom Riordan is to succeed Martin Havenhand as Chief Executive of Yorkshire Forward.

Riordan, currently Deputy Chief Executive, will take up the post early next year.

He will become the youngest RDA Chief Executive in the country and also the youngest to hold a Chief Executive post since the agencies were set up in 1999.

Married with two young children, 37 year-old Riordan was born and educated in Northallerton, North Yorkshire and graduated with a modern history honours degree from Trinity College, Oxford University in 1989.

He joined the Civil Service's fast stream management scheme with the Department of the Environment in Whitehall and progressed quickly through a variety of jobs, specialising in environmental policy and representing the UK in United Nations negotiations on climate change and endangered species.

He gained a first class masters in business administration at Imperial College, University of London in 1997 before returning to Yorkshire to set up the RDA for the Government Office.

In his role as Executive Director of Strategy and Policy, he produced the first Regional Economic Strategy (RES) for Yorkshire and Humber.

Riordan has since been responsible for developing, monitoring and revising the RES, leading national RDA input into the last three budgets and two spending reviews, liaising with the regional assembly and West Yorkshire partners, improving knowledge about the regional economy through Yorkshire Futures and rolling out the regional brand "Yorkshire alive with opportunity".

He was promoted to the position of Deputy Chief Executive earlier this year and, for last five months, has also been Acting Executive Director of Business Development.

Riordan serves as a non-Executive Director of the Bradford Regeneration Company, Chair of Yorkshire Futures and is a Trustee of a social enterprise.

He has been a high profile figure in the regional media for many years and speaks regularly at a national level on economic development issues.

Commenting on his appointment, Riordan said: "I'm privileged and delighted to be appointed to such a great job in a great region".

"I believe Yorkshire Forward needs to build a new 'Team Yorkshire and Humber', uniting business, public and community leaders to deliver real improvements to our economy".

"I would like to thank all the people who have supported me and I look forward to working with them and others to make Yorkshire and Humber a world leader in economic development".

Terry Hodgkinson, Chair of Yorkshire Forward, added: "Tom was the outstanding candidate in a very strong field, came through a rigorous process of selection and as such he is well-deserving of the post".

"Having worked with him for the last two years, I am very familiar with the high standards that he sets, both for himself and for others".

"Yorkshire Forward is about to enter a very exciting period and, under Tom's dynamic leadership, I know we will be up to any task we face".