Educated at
Bishop Challoner School, he went up to
UCL where he read geography (graduating
BA). Barradell pursued a career in the information and communication technology sector, playing a variety of marketing management roles for such companies as
Unisys and
Hewlett Packard. Serving with the
Special Police Force, he was promoted Chief Officer and was appointed
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the
2008 New Year Honours for "services to the police". In 2002, Barradell joined
Westminster City Council, being promoted Deputy Chief Executive, then Chief Executive 2006–09. Chief Executive of
Brighton and Hove Council 2009-12, he became in 2012
Town Clerk of London, succeeding
Chris Duffield. He chairs the National Emergencies Trust and since 2016, he
chairs the Sir Simon Milton Foundation, a charitable organisation set up to promote the vision of society developed by the
Conservative politician
Sir Simon Milton, Leader of Westminster City Council from 2000 to 2008.
Town Clerk successor Ian Thomas succeeded as 51st Town Clerk of London in February 2023, after the ten-year tenure of John Barradell ended on 31 December 2022. ==References==