diff --git a/tools/check_chair.py b/tools/check_chair.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1d144653
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/check_chair.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+# not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+# a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+# WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+# License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+from __future__ import print_function
+
+import argparse
+import re
+
+from yaml2ical import meeting
+
+BOOL_STR = {True: 'OK', False: 'Needs Fixing'}
+
+
+def check_chair(chair):
+    if re.search(r',', chair):
+        chairs = chair.split(',')
+    else:
+        chairs = [chair]
+
+    all_good = True
+    msg = ''
+    for chair in chairs:
+        chair = chair.rstrip().lstrip()
+        ok = bool(re.match(r'^[\w .-]+\([\w\d_-]+\)$', chair))
+        all_good &= ok
+        msg += "\t%s: %s\n" % (chair, BOOL_STR[ok])
+
+    return (all_good, msg)
+
+
+def main():
+    # build option parser:
+    description = """
+A tool that checks a meeting chair matches the canonical format.
+"""
+
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter,
+        description=description)
+
+    parser.add_argument("-y", "--yamldir",
+                        dest="yaml_dir",
+                        required=True,
+                        help="directory containing YAML to process")
+
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    meetings = meeting.load_meetings(args.yaml_dir)
+    for m in meetings:
+            ok, msg = check_chair(m.chair)
+            if not ok:
+                print(m.filefrom)
+                print(msg.rstrip())
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 64f0b582..a605c46d 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ commands =
 whitelist_externals = bash
 commands =
   bash test_tools/flake8wrap.sh {posargs}
+  python tools/check_chair.py -y {toxinidir}
 
 [flake8]
 ignore =