Corporate leadership team

The Corporate Leadership Team is our senior management team, led by the council's Interim Chief Executive, Mariana Pexton, and includes the following officers:

Interim Chief Executive - Mariana Pexton

Mariana has been the Interim Chief Executive at Leeds City Council since September 2024. She was previously Director of Strategy and Resources at the authority, leading a large directorate that included Finance, Human Resources, Digital, Legal and Governance, Shared Services, Strategy and Performance, Communications and Marketing, and crucially a service called Civic Enterprise Leeds that delivers many vital front-line services such as catering, cleaning, school crossing patrols, passenger transport and building repairs. Mariana also led the strategic developments for Leeds City Council, including the Best City Ambition, and played a key corporate role supporting councillors.

Mariana has previously been employed in senior in roles in Leeds in Strategy, Customer Services and Children's Services. Prior to joining the council in 2000, Mariana enjoyed a career in leadership and management in the Civil Service and an Inspectorate. She studied Sports Studies in Newcastle as her first degree, has a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Leeds, and has completed a Doctorate in Business Administration at Leeds Beckett University, researching leadership and strategy in local government.

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 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 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 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.

Officers with statutory roles

There are also a number of officers who hold statutory roles in the council and work closely with the Corporate Leadership Team.

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.

City Solicitor - Catherine Witham

Catherine as City Solicitor is responsible for Legal and Democratic Services. She reports to Mariana Pexton, the Director of Resources, although she is directly accountable to the Chief Executive with respect to her statutory Monitoring Officer Role.

Chief Financial Services Officer - Victoria Bradshaw

Victoria as Chief Officer Financial Services sits within Resources Directorate but is directly accountable to the Chief Executive in relation to her Section 151 Officer statutory responsibilities.

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.