Debansu Das is a highly experienced marketing leader with over 20 years of expertise in the UK housing sector, specialising in sustainability, offsite construction, and social impact. As Sales & Marketing Director at Zed Pods, he has played a pivotal role in driving the company’s growth - from £1 million to £15 million in four years, while transforming it from a little-known SME into a respected, award-winning brand. Under his leadership, Zed Pods has won 11 trade awards annually for the past three years and secured high-profile partnerships across the public sector. Debansu leads on business development, strategic communications, and stakeholder engagement, delivering innovative modular housing projects that address climate and housing crisis. Recognised as a thought leader in the housing sector, he is known for shaping strategic partnerships and delivering forward-thinking solutions that turn complex challenges into scalable, community-focused innovations. He earned accolades such as ‘Marketer of the Year’ and the European Marketing Excellence Award in 2012. Previously, Debansu held senior international marketing roles at Philips and ICI Dulux, where he served as a Product Manager, launching innovative products.  As Chairman of the Housing Diversity Network (HDN), Debansu champions equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) across the housing and construction sectors. He is committed to developing the next generation of leaders through mentoring and leadership programmes. He brings a unique blend of marketing & commercial insights, purpose-driven leadership, and cross-sector experience to everything he does.

As MD of Built Environment and Architecture Media I work with the talented and creative teams behind Architecture Today, School of Specification, RegenerativeArchitecture.org, CMA Awards and the Construction & Built Environment Marketing Network. My track record in architecture and built environment media - and the industry more widely - spans over 30 years, continuously creating opportunities for championing and supporting our professional communities as they have grappled with the challenges and opportunities of our times. I still relish the challenge of reinventing established media brands in response to the changing needs of our audiences and the realities of a fast-changing media landscape and have overseen the successful relaunch of The Architects’ Journal, RIBA Journal and Architecture Today as multi-media content platforms as well as notable launches such as AJ 40 Under 40, UK Architecture at MIPIM and the World Architecture Festival.   I became an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2023.