Corporate leadership team

The Corporate Leadership Team is our senior management team, led by the council's Chief Executive, Ed Whiting OBE, and includes the following officers:

Chief Executive – Ed Whiting OBE

Ed was born and grew up in Leeds and started as Leeds City Council’s Chief Executive in January 2025. Ed has spent most of his career working in a number of central Civil Service Departments, including in the Financial Stability Unit of HM Treasury through the 2008 to 2009 financial crisis, and as Deputy Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister between 2014 and 2016. Most recently, Ed was Director for Cities and Local Growth, leading a joint unit shared between the Business and Communities Departments working on the government’s local economic growth priorities

Between 2016 and 2022, Ed was Director of Strategy at the Wellcome Trust, where he led the creation of a new strategy to solve the urgent health challenges of infectious disease, mental health and the impact of climate change on health. He developed new global policy and strategic partnerships functions, and sponsored Wellcome’s new mental health research and equity, diversity and inclusion programmes.

Director of Adults and Health - Caroline Baria

Caroline is responsible for all adult social care services requiring the assessment for, and arrangement of, services to meet the personal social care needs of those who may be physically or learning disabled, have mental health needs or may be frail through old age. This includes provision of information, social work, safeguarding, support to voluntary and independent providers of care and direct management of a range of home care, day time support and residential services.

She is also responsible for the public health functions of the council including promoting health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities across the city.

Director of Children and Families - Julie Longworth

Julie is responsible for all children and family services in Leeds including the initiative to make Leeds a Child Friendly City. These services include: school admissions, support to schools and governors, school improvement, support to vulnerable learners, early help and children’s centres, Children’s Social Work Services including fostering, adoption and children’s homes, services to support children with learning difficulties and disabilities and a range of specialist services for children and young people including Family Group Conferencing, Youth Offending Services and Multi Systemic Therapy.

Director of City Development (Interim) - Angela Barnicle

Angela is responsible for the inclusive economic growth of the city including planning, regeneration work and jobs and skills. She is also responsible for asset management of the council's land and property estate, highways including maintenance, Leeds Museums and Galleries, Active Leeds centres, markets, and cultural events. The Chief Planning Officer, David Feeney, reports to Angela.

Director of Communities, Housing and Environment - James Rogers

James is responsible for the delivery of a range of locality and community based services including: housing services and homelessness; community hubs and libraries; financial inclusion; welfare and benefits; waste disposal, recycling and refuse collection services; street cleaning and environmental enforcement; environmental health including infection and pest control; the city’s parks and green space; community safety including, domestic abuse, anti-social behaviour and hate crime; parking services including enforcement; registrars (births, deaths and marriages), licensing (entertainment and taxi and private hire), elections and local land charges.

Along with leading the council’s response to the climate emergency, James also has strategic responsibility for addressing poverty and inequality in the city; how the council engages citizens through its ten community committees and locality working arrangements; the city's approach to migration; partnerships with the Third Sector; and leadership of the city's community safety partnership.

Director of Public Health - Victoria Eaton

Victoria reports to the Director of Adults and Health but is directly accountable to the Chief Executive in relation to statutory responsibilities including the promotion of health and wellbeing. She is also responsible for protecting the health of the local population from threats ranging from relatively minor disease outbreaks to full scale public health protection.

Director of Strategy and Resources - Mariana Pexton

Mariana as Director of Strategy and Resources leads a large directorate that includes Finance, Human Resources, Integrated Digital Services, Legal, Democratic and Information Governance, Business Support Services, Strategy and Performance, Communications and Marketing, and crucially a service called Civic Enterprise Leeds that delivers many vital frontline services such as catering, cleaning, school crossing patrols, passenger transport and building repairs.

Mariana works closely with the Chief Executive on the strategic developments for Leeds City Council, including the Best City Ambition, and plays a key corporate role supporting councillors and city partners.

Interim Assistant Chief Executive – Finance, Traded and Resources and S151 Officer – Victoria Bradshaw

Victoria reports to the Director of Strategy and Resources and leads the council’s financial services and Civic Enterprise Leeds. As the council’s S151 officer she is directly accountable to the Chief Executive.

Interim Assistant Chief Executive – People, Digital and Change – Andy Dodman

Andy reports to the Director of Strategy and Resources and leads the council’s people (HR, Business Admin and Business Support functions), integrated digital services and transformation functions.

City Solicitor and Monitoring Officer- Catherine Witham

Catherine reports to the Director of Strategy and Resources and as City Solicitor is responsible for Legal, Democratic and Information Governance Services. As the council’s Monitoring Officer, she is directly accountable to the Chief Executive.

Register of Officers Declaration of Interests

The council holds a register of over 1,000 employees’ declarations of interests where the post held is deemed as high risk, based on the level of decision making or the influence they may have on decision making.

Access to information from this register is only available through Freedom of Information requests, subject to the terms and exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act.