Leeds City Council has unanimously voted to appoint Mariana Pexton as the interim chief executive.
Currently serving as the council’s director of strategy and resources, Mariana Pexton will assume her new role later this month, following the departure of the current chief executive, Tom Riordan. Pexton will make history as the first woman to head the second-largest local authority in the country. She brings a robust track record of advancing the council’s goals for both itself and the city.
Councillor James Lewis, Leader of Leeds City Council said:
“Mariana will be an excellent interim chief executive and I’m very pleased that full council has agreed her appointment. We have strong representation from women across our senior political and officer leadership and this is an important milestone for us to now also have our first female head of paid service.
“She has been leading many of our key frontline services over the past couple of years and has been driving the council expertly and efficiently through the considerable financial challenges we have been experiencing and continue to face, in common with other councils.
“Mariana is also held in high regard across the city for her work with partner organisations and the sports sector and is a passionate champion of our city and council ambitions and values.”
Throughout her tenure at the council, Mariana Pexton has collaborated closely with Tom Riordan, who is departing to lead national health and social care reforms as a permanent secretary with the Department of Health and Social Care.
Mariana Pexton, incoming interim Chief Executive at Leeds City Council said:
“It’s a great privilege to have this opportunity and I’m completely committed to the council and to Leeds. Here we do things together, working with residents and partners to achieve the best for the city and its people.
“I will be focused on consolidating all the ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the council, while working towards delivering a balanced budget. I am also determined that alongside this work we continue to operate as a team, both within the council and more broadly, to make the most of opportunities to help improve lives across the city.”
Mariana Pexton currently serves as the council’s Director of Strategy and Resources, overseeing a substantial directorate that includes key corporate services such as finance and human resources, in addition to Civic Enterprise Leeds, which delivers frontline services like catering, cleaning, school crossing patrols, passenger transport, and building repairs.
Joining the council in 2000, Mariana has since held various senior roles encompassing strategy, customer services, and children’s services. Prior to her tenure at the council, she had a distinguished career in leadership and management within the Civil Service and an inspectorate. Mariana studied sports studies in Newcastle, holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Leeds, and recently earned a professional doctorate from Leeds Beckett University, where she researched leadership and strategy in local government.
Mariana is married with two children and actively contributes to her community as the chair of the Leeds Rhinos Foundation and as a director of Leeds Rhinos Netball in a voluntary capacity. She also participated in the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon in 2023. She is set to formally assume the role of interim chief executive on September 23 and will hold the position until the recruitment of a permanent chief executive is finalized.
Congratulations to Mariana Pexton on her appointment as the incoming Interim Chief Executive at Leeds City Council. Your extensive experience and dedicated leadership within the council are sure to guide Leeds with great vision and integrity.
Here’s to a successful tenure ahead and to the continued growth and prosperity of Leeds under your stewardship.
