Paul Leinster has been Chief Executive of the Environment Agency since June 2008. He developed and promoted the concept of modern environmental regulation in the late 1990s before the better regulation agenda was being widely discussed. The outputs from this have been recognised within government and internationally as leading edge.

Paul has had leading roles in the European and worldwide networks of environmental regulators and currently chairs the Heads of European Environment Protection Agencies Better Regulation Group. He has been a member of a number of Minister chaired advisory groups including those on food and farming, waste and carbon capture and storage.

Paul has led the strategic response to storm and flooding events as well as a major drought and the environmental impacts of major fires.

Paul studied chemistry and then environmental engineering at Imperial College London and subsequently gained an MBA from the Cranfield School of Management. He was awarded a CBE in 2008 and honorary doctorates from Cranfield University and the University of West of England in 2012. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a Fellow of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.