Leendert Cornelis "Elco" Brinkman (born 5 February 1948) is a retired Dutch politician and businessman who served as Minister of Welfare, Health and Culture from 1982 to 1989 and Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) in 1994.

After the 1982 general election, Brinkman was appointed Minister of Welfare, Health and Culture in the First Lubbers cabinet taking office on 4 November 1982.

Shortly before an upcoming election, party leader and Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers announced his retirement and Brinkman was anonymously selected as his successor on 29 January 1994.

For the election of 1994 Brinkman served as lijsttrekker (top candidate) but shortly thereafter announced that he was stepping down following disappointing election results on 16 August 1994 but continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a frontbencher chairing the House Committee on Kingdom Relations and spokesperson for Health.

Brinkman retired from active politics at just 47 and became active in the private and public sectors as a corporate and non-profit director and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government; he worked as a trade association executive serving as Chairman of the Construction Association from May 1995 until July 2013, Vice Chairman of the Industry and Employers Confederation (VNO-NCW) from April 2002 until May 2008 and a Member of the Social and Economic Council for the VNO-NCW from June 1995 until July 2013.