David Cowans is Group Chief Executive of Places for People, an organisation committed to working to provide aspirational homes and inspirational places. David has led the transformation of Places for People from a traditional Housing Association into a diverse business, which provides a range of products and services to build and manage communities that can prosper and be sustainable in the long term. This includes regeneration services, financial services, leisure services, care and support services and a range of options to enable people to access a home whether through outright sale, affordable rent or sale or market rent.

David is a Fellow of the Institute of Housing, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Chartered Director of the Institute of Directors and has an MBA from Birmingham University. He is also an Academician of The Academy of Urbanism and a Trustee of the Chartered Institute of Housing. David is a regular speaker and writer on housing and regeneration issues.