Mayor Ben Houchen
Tees Valley Mayor
Mayor Houchen qualified as a solicitor in 2009 and practised corporate law, commercial law and commercial litigation for six years before running his own business. He was UK & European CEO of an international sportswear company. He was also leader of the Conservative Group on Stockton Borough Council from 2014 to 2017.
He was elected as the first Mayor of the Tees Valley in 2017 and was re-elected in 2021 with 73% of the vote. He was then elected for a third term in 2024 and currently continues to serve as the elected Mayor.
In his first term, Mayor Houchen successfully delivered his manifesto pledge to save Teesside Airport from closure and is continuing to deliver the 10-year Rescue Plan for the airport.
He is responsible for establishing the first Mayoral Development Corporation (South Tees Development Corporation - Teesworks) outside of London, second only to the Olympic Park – which was set up for the 2012 Olympics. The Development Corporation is responsible for the regeneration of the largest brownfield site in western Europe, which has attracted billions of pounds in foreign direct investment and is creating thousands of manufacturing jobs in industries like offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon, capture and storage. He has also created two more Mayoral Development Corporations to help regenerate Middlesbrough and Hartlepool town centres.
He has also helped to deliver national policies to help level up the country, including being one of the architects of the UK’s Freeport policy. As a result, he was able to establish the UK’s first and largest freeport – the Teesside Freeport. He also worked closely with Government to bring the newly established Treasury Economic Campus to Darlington, which is the premier home for the Treasury outside of London.
Councillor Steve Harker
Leader of Darlington Borough Council
He has held a number of Cabinet portfolios on Darlington Borough Council, including the Resources portfolio. Councillor Harker strongly believes that the Combined Authority, working together with the 5 Tees Valley Councils, can bring beneficial change to people across the Tees Valley.
Councillor Harker grew up in Stokesley and moved to Darlington in 1990. He worked in the software industry for over 30 years, supporting the day-to-day operations of the UK rail industry.
Councillor Harker is Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Transport and Infrastructure.
Councillor Pamela Hargreaves
Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council
She brings rare, end-to-end expertise across the public, private and third sectors, with a proven ability to translate strategy into delivery at local, regional and national level.
Councillor Hargreaves is an exceptionally accomplished and influential leader whose career spans senior national policy roles, business ownership, political leadership and long-standing charitable governance. She brings rare, end-to-end expertise across the public, private and third sectors, with a proven ability to translate strategy into delivery at local, regional and national level.
Her formative leadership career was built at Enterprise UK, the national organisation championing entrepreneurship and enterprise. Rising through a series of increasingly senior roles, she established and led the North East regional campaign, successfully embedding a national enterprise agenda across the region, convening senior stakeholders and delivering the first Global Entrepreneurship Week in the North East. Her impact led to promotion to Director of Partnerships, where she led multiple geographically dispersed teams across the UK, delivering national programmes and forging high-value strategic partnerships with delivery organisations and funders.
She was subsequently appointed Director of Policy, Research and Strategy, holding responsibility for Enterprise UK’s entire policy and research function and leading its public affairs work. In this capacity, Councillor Hargreaves worked directly with Government Ministers, civil servants and senior officials, shaping national entrepreneurship policy, influencing decision-makers and ensuring that evidence, research and practitioner insight informed government action. This role firmly established her as a trusted voice at the interface of policy, delivery and impact.
Alongside her national policy career, Councillor Hargreaves has been a founder and builder of purpose-driven organisations. She was Director and Owner of Xivvi Ltd, providing creative, branding and business planning support to SMEs, charities and social enterprises, helping organisations grow, professionalise and articulate their value. Her entrepreneurial commitment to women in business is particularly notable. She co-founded Women What Do in Hartlepool and the Stockton Businesswomen’s Network, creating inclusive, peer-led spaces for female entrepreneurs, freelancers and business owners to connect, collaborate and grow.
This work culminated in her role as Co-Founder and Director of the North East Foundation for Women in Enterprise, a voluntary organisation she helped establish and lead for seven years. Under her leadership, the Foundation raised over £50,000, supported more than 150 female-owned businesses through grants, and delivered sell-out regional events celebrating women’s enterprise and role models. The Foundation’s legacy continues through the donation of residual funds to support the next generation of female entrepreneurs.
Councillor Hargreaves is also the Managing Owner of Water Babies Tees Valley & Durham, leading a complex, multi-site early-years swimming business. She holds full accountability for strategy, commercial performance, governance and people leadership, successfully scaling the business, growing its customer base and expanding its operational footprint, including the development of her own swim and wellbeing centre.
Her leadership now extends into senior civic and political roles. Councillor Hargreaves is Chair of the Hartlepool Development Corporation, providing strategic board leadership and oversight for major regeneration and investment programmes, working in partnership with government, local authorities and the private sector to drive long-term place-based transformation. She also serves as Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, the borough’s most senior political role, responsible for setting strategic direction, navigating complex governance arrangements and working with executive officers, regional partners and Whitehall to deliver economic growth and public value.
In parallel, Councillor Hargreaves has been Chair of Families First North East for over 24 years, demonstrating extraordinary continuity, board-level governance expertise and an unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for children, families and communities.
Across every stage of her career, Councillor Hargreaves has demonstrated vision, credibility and delivery at scale. Her unique combination of national policy leadership, entrepreneurial success, political authority and charitable governance marks her out as an outstanding leader with the experience, judgement and ambition to shape lasting economic and social impact.
Councillor Hargreaves is Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Culture and Creative Place.
Mayor Chris Cooke
Mayor of Middlesbrough
During his four years as a councillor, Chris also worked as a community cohesion coordinator.
Mayor Cooke is committed to raising the life chances of the most vulnerable people in society.
He is Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Inward Investment, Housing and Finance.
Councillor Alec Brown
Leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and Deputy Mayor
Councillor Brown, who serves in the Kirkleatham ward in Redcar, was first elected to the Council in 2015. He served as the Cabinet member for Neighbourhoods in the Council’s administration between 2015 and 2019.
He is Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Business Growth and Net Zero.
Councillor Lisa Evans
Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
Councillor Evans is a Labour Councillor and was elected in 2015.
She held the Cabinet Portfolio of Children and Young People for six years at Stockton Council and was Deputy Leader for three years.
Before becoming Deputy Leader, Councillor Evans worked for many years in adult education as a Lecturer and has also worked for various Trade Unions, both representing members and teaching representatives.
She is Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Education, Employment and Skills.
Councillor Evans is passionate about protecting the most vulnerable and ensuring that every family has the opportunity to thrive in a supported, fair, and thriving community.
Matthew Ord
Chair of the Tees Valley Business Board
Having previously worked for the North East of England chamber of commerce for 6 years as their International Trade lead, he developed relationships with all of the exporters in the region and became a credible source of support and guidance for those businesses.
When moving to LV Logistics, Matthew helped guide their business through some of the most challenging global impacts and process changes for many decades, this required dedication and a sound understanding of the global markets and the implications on trade from and with the UK.
Matthew’s understanding of the local business community is highly regarded, and he is often the barometer for Tees Valley in terms of measuring the current business climate. He is a highly credible business leader and is often to go to person for soft landings with new businesses and inward investment in Tees Valley.
Matthew is also Trustee for Vision Academy (8 schools in Teesside); Vice-Chair of Tees and Hartlepool Port Users Association – (Chair as of December l) and Member of The Etc’s LAB (Logistics advisory board)