David Hughes
President & CEO Habitat for Humanity Canada
Building Homes, Building Hope: Transforming our cities through affordable housing

Habitat for Humanity has built over 225,000 homes in over 90 countries and is now building at a rate of one new home every 21 minutes. With each new home comes an opportunity to demonstrate how good design and sustainable building practices can transform not only the lives of individuals,but the cities in which they live. This presentation will provide a vivid and motivational account of how Habitat for Humanity is building homes and hope for families in need of a brighter future, and will outline an agenda for action aimed at changing the way we think about affordable housing and city planning.

David Hughes has been President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada since 2002, during which time the organization has more than doubled its annual production of homes in Canada and abroad and become an influential voice for affordable housing. David has served as a leader and change agent for organizations in Canada, USA, Europe, Africa, Asia and while posted at the United Nations. He is also the founder of The Impact Group, a management consulting firm dedicated to bringing a bottom-line results-oriented approach to addressing critical social issues. He is a frequent speaker on leadership, organizational change, and the transformative effect volunteers can have on their communities. David holds a degree from the University of Western Ontario in economics and a postgraduate degree from the London School of Economics (LSE) in social policy, public administration and non-profit management