David Cowans is one of the most influential figures in the housing sector. He retired from his post as Chief Executive at Places for People Group (PfP) in 2022, where over 24 years he grew a powerhouse of social enterprise, innovation in regeneration, development, management and investment. David transformed the business into a housing association with over 219,000 homes under management and took the turnover from £110m to £827m, generating a profit before tax of £95.5m and a balance sheet of £4.9bn.