Ogilvie Independent Consulting
Meet David Ogilvie
David Ogilvie is a respected housing policy and strategic planning professional with over 30 years of experience across the local authority, housing association, and private housebuilding sectors in the UK.
A recognised leader in the field, David has played a pivotal role in shaping housing policy at both Scottish and UK levels. His career includes over a decade of working with national housing bodies such as the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, Homes for Scotland and the Chartered Institute of Housing. His expertise spans all housing tenures, with a strong focus on increasing access to affordable housing, tackling homelessness, and driving sustainable community development.
In 2015, David founded Ogilvie Independent Housing Consultancy, successfully leading it for six years before joining East Lothian Council as Service Manager, Housing Strategy & Development, a role he held until 2023. Following this, he worked as a sole trader consultant leading key change management projects for Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association. In 2025, he formally re-established his consultancy as Ogilvie Independent Consulting, building on his extensive expertise to support organisations across the housing sector. He also serves as Chief Examiner for Scotland with The Property Institute.
With a wealth of consultancy experience, David has delivered housing stock options appraisals, policy evaluations, housing needs assessments, and policy reviews for UK and Scottish Government departments, local authorities, housing associations, social enterprises, and third-sector organisations. He has also provided interim executive leadership in both housing policy and housing management and is currently developing a range of leadership and learning consultancy services, including offering training and mentoring to aspiring housing, charity and social enterprise sector leaders.
Committed to continuous professional development, David is currently expanding his expertise by undertaking professional qualifications to underpin his consultancy activities. This includes undertaking qualifications in facilitation, stakeholder consultation, dispute mediation, and property factoring, further strengthening his ability to support clients across the housing sector.
David holds a BA (Hons) in Sociology from Durham University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Housing from Heriot-Watt University. He is also a trustee of Cohousing Scotland, advocating for inclusive housing models. His dedication to affordable housing, social justice, and public service improvement is evident throughout his career and ongoing policy work.
Outside of work, David enjoys reading, writing, cycling, and photography—including drone photography. He also considers himself a pretty decent cook (most of the time!).