In this episode of the Charity Changemakers Podcast, Adam is joined by Callum Dixon, Director of Service Delivery and Member Support at Citizens Advice, for a candid and reflective conversation about a career built on stepping into the unknown. Callum's journey started with a semi-dismissal at a law firm drinks reception that inadvertently pointed him toward Citizens Advice as a volunteer. From there he moved through Shelter, higher education, a chief executive role at 25, a merger, a housing association, and eventually home to the national Citizens Advice organisation, where he has held four different leadership roles in five years. Together Adam and Callum explore:

• Being told you're too young for a job, and taking it anyway
• What gorilla-glueing carpet while writing a National Lottery bid teaches you about small charity leadership
• The loneliness of the chief executive role and why peer community matters
• Leading a merger and the strategic lessons around stakeholder management
• How federated organisations teach soft power over positional authority
• What becoming an adoptive parent changed about Callum's leadership style
• Why the version of yourself you were 10 years ago shouldn't be recognisable
• The importance of slowing down in a sector driven by passion and urgency

Callum also talks openly about the complexity of Citizens Advice as a federated charity, the postcode lottery of advice funding across England and Wales, and the ongoing work to shift power dynamics through co-design with their member network. To find out more about Citizens Advice, volunteer, or access advice, visit: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk If you enjoyed the episode, please like, share and leave a review. Your support helps more charity leaders and changemakers discover the show. Takeaways

• Stepping into a role before you feel ready is often how the most valuable learning happens
• Building a peer community is essential for chief executives navigating isolation at the top
• Parenthood can fundamentally shift how you understand and exercise leadership
• Federated organisations require influence and relationship skills more than positional authority
• Slowing down is a leadership discipline, not a weakness

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and career journey
• 08:50 Becoming a chief executive at 25
• 15:00 Peer support, board relationships and early leadership lessons
• 19:00 Merger, housing association and the road to Citizens Advice
• 22:00 Career development, visibility and backing yourself
• 26:00 Parenthood and evolving leadership style
• 33:00 How Citizens Advice works and what it delivers
• 38:41 How to get involved with Citizens Advice