BUSINESS champion Tom Riordan will succeed Martin Havenhand as chief executive of Yorkshire Forward, it was announced today.

Mr Riordan, currently deputy chief executive of the regional development agency (RDA), will take up the post early next year.

At 37, he will become the youngest RDA chief executive in the country, and the youngest to hold a chief executive post since the agencies were set up, in 1999.

Married with two young children, Mr Riordan was born and educated in Northallerton, and graduated with a modern history 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.

His interest in pushing the regional business perspective is not surprising. 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.

Mr 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 deputy chief executive earlier this year and, for last five months, has also been acting executive director of business development.

Mr Riordan also serves as a non-executive director of the Bradford Regeneration Company, is chairman of Yorkshire Futures, and a trustee of a social enterprise.

He 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, chairman of Yorkshire Forward, said: "Tom was the outstanding candidate in a very strong field. He 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."

Updated: 09:16 Thursday, December 22, 2005