Richard Leest

As Director of Information Technology Services for York Region, Richard leads the planning, delivery and support of information technology for almost 4,500 employees, 300 applications and over 11,000 computers and mobile devices. 

Prior to his appointment as director, Richard spent six years as Manager of Enterprise Architecture and Security, where he led corporate cybersecurity for the Region. He continues to bring a focus to cybersecurity through initiatives such as a recent collaboration to implement new cyber procurement and cyber contract management procedures for the Region.

In his role as director, Richard represents the IT Services Branch, and is frequently called upon to speak before the Region’s senior management team and various internal committees and working groups. Some notable speaking engagements include a presentation to senior management on the Cyber Universe, a presentation to the Region’s Information Technology Governance Board on Cloud Security and a MISA presentation on Information Technology Strategy Framework.