Lars Peter Nissen – CEO of ACAPS

“Don’t seek technical solutions for political problems.”

Meet Lars Peter Nissen

• A self-described “mercenary, missionary and misfit,” Lars Peter Nissen has worked in the humanitarian sector since leaving high school. He spent about 15 years in crisis settings, starting in El Salvador, before moving into data analysis for crisis response.
• He is now CEO of ACAPS, an independent organization that provides analysis for crisis response worldwide. He believes the sector has an “obligation to tell the story of people we are not reaching,” and that analysis should give professionals the information they need to act.
• He also hosts a podcast, called Trumanitarian, where he talks candidly about humanitarian work with guests from across the sector.

Sector

Data Analysis Informing Humanitarian Action 

• It’s storytelling under heavy uncertainty. Analysts often work with rare, hard-to-predict events, missing data, and sometimes no clear question. The goal is a narrative that is “approximately right rather than precisely wrong” and spurs action. Because it is a story rather than a scientific fact, analysts should be open about their assumptions and editorial choices so it can be challenged.
• AI and new data sources are a double-edged sword. They offer more data, more speed, and remote access without putting people at risk. They also make it cheap to produce misinformation and to turn the humanitarian narrative into a weapon, as seen in crises such as Ukraine and Gaza. More data doesn’t help if you don’t know the right question.
• Funding and capacity are the bottleneck, not data. Sector funding has dropped sharply, and ACAPS itself has shrunk by about half, forcing hard prioritization. Part of the analyst’s job is to “shine light” on crises where aid isn’t reaching people, not just where that conflict is.
• Data underpins impartiality but can’t replace judgment or local context. Donors such as the EU’s humanitarian aid department (ECHO) need data to distribute scarce funds according to need. Applied too rigidly, though; it produces inhuman outcomes. Broad risk scanning can be done remotely, but deeper analysis needs local civil society and experts. Lars Peter also argues for “good enough” analysis: since big decisions are often made before a three-month study is finished, the effort should deliver a reasonable return.

Skills

Want to find out what sets Lars Peter apart? 

“I seemed to work well in messy situations- I was good at it.”

• Working in messy, high-stakes environments. From El Salvador to Afghanistan to Myanmar, Lars Peter found that he functions well in chaotic, ambiguous situations, though he admits not everybody thought he was good at it.
• Committing to a view when data is thin. Lars Peter is comfortable acting on imperfect information, and in a crisis, he would rather offer a usable answer than wait for a perfect one.
• Making analysis usable. Lars Peter knows exhausted, frightened frontline workers need five clear bullets, not 15 pages of clever analysis. Therefore, he writes for decision-makers under pressure.
• Systems thinking and balanced critique. He challenges the perverse incentives inside institutions, such as rigid project plans, heavy due-diligence requirements, and accountability to donors over affected people. He also recognizes the constraints and good intentions of the people working within them.
• Leading with candor and accountability. Candor is a core ACAPS value because it encourages open debate. He also stresses documenting decisions so teams can learn and course-correct.

Advice & Tips

• Break out of your silo. He urges professionals to step out of their specialist communities (climate, peacebuilding, humanitarian, development) and look at problems holistically, rather than through the pinhole of their own expertise.
• Question the rules, and be prepared to get fired. Don’t just follow the rules or the institution, because rules can produce inhumane outcomes and someone has to say no. Go out, make mistakes, and risk getting fired. Keep asking whether you’re doing things right or doing the right things.
• Be brutally honest with yourself about what drives you. Own your mix of self-interest, idealism, and restlessness. If you think you’re just a saviour, he warns, you will disappoint yourself and everyone else, so drop the hero narrative.
• Don’t over-plan your career. His best opportunities “came floating by,” and his biggest growth followed disruptive moments, including leaving jobs he was frustrated with. Stay open, don’t panic, and change course when something isn’t working.
• Build from humility. Expect to feel useless at first, and learn the trade through volunteering, trial and error, and close attention to what is actually happening on the ground. He would tell his own daughter not to apply to the UN until she’s 40, and to learn the trade elsewhere first.

Connection to Humanity Hub

Lars Peter Nissen, CEO of ACAPS, was a guest speaker during The Handshake, an interactive event series connecting aspiring changemakers with experienced professionals in the peace & justice sectors as part of the Humanity Hub’s Talent for Good Programme. This special edition was hosted during the 9th Thesis Conference for Engineering and Policy Analysis (EPA) graduates: Grand Challenge Accepted 2026 at TU Delft, a member of the Humanity Hub.

• Curriculum Vitae

  ACAPS – Chief Executive Officer [2010 – Present]

  Trumanitarian – Host [2020 – Present]

  H2H Network – Director a.i. [2021]

  Robust Consult – Consultant [2007 – 2009]

  Danish Red Cross – Regional Representative [2003 – 2007]

  International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies – FACT Officer [2002 – 2004]

  EcoSec Delegate – ICRC [2002]