Ian McDermott brings over 30 years of experience in the housing sector. He began his career at Southwark Council before moving to Waltham Forest, where he worked closely with residents on major regeneration projects. Ian then joined Stonebridge Housing Action Trust, initially as Development Director and later as Chief Executive.
Following this, he became Chief Executive of Shaftsbury Housing Association, which later merged with Sanctuary Housing Group. Ian remained with Sanctuary for nine years, ultimately serving as Chief Operating Officer. He went on to lead Aldwyck Housing Group as Chief Executive, followed by Catalyst Housing, before taking up his current role as CEO of Peabody in October 2021.
Ian is a Chartered Surveyor, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing, and an alumnus of Harvard Business School. He currently serves on several boards and committees, including the CIH Governance, Ethics, Remuneration and Nominations Committee, the CIH Asia International Limited Board, and the National Federation of Housing Associations. He also co-chaired the Quality and Trust Steering Group, which is dedicated to enhancing the quality of social housing. The group played a key role in shaping the sector’s response to the Better Social Housing Review’s seven recommendations.
In addition, Ian is Chair of the G15 group, representing London’s largest not-for-profit housing associations.
