Dr. Callum Etches is Founder and Principal Consultant at Nested Insights. His work sits at the intersection of impact evaluation, systems approaches, and participatory research, supporting organisations to make sense of complex challenges and demonstrate meaningful change.

He holds a PhD in Science and Technology Policy from the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex, where his research focused on place-based food system governance and collaborative action. Alongside his consultancy work, Callum is also a Research Fellow in the Department of Engineering and Informatics at the University of Sussex, contributing to research on food system resilience and the application of causal and participatory systems methods.

Callum’s background spans both academic research and real-world programme delivery. Over the last 10 years, he has led impact and evaluation work across national programmes and multi-stakeholder partnerships. This dual perspective shapes his approach, combining analytical rigour with a strong focus on what is practical and useful in real decision-making contexts.