Leyland is the former CIO of the Merseyside Pension Fund which is now part of the LGPS Northern Pool of local authority pension funds. Prior to that he worked as an economist in the City and for the Government Economic Service. He is currently working as a freelance independent investment consultant. Leyland holds a degree in Economic History from Leicester University, an MSc (econ) from Birkbeck College University of London and is a member of the Law Society having qualified at the College of Law Guildford.