Patrick Dixon

Dr Patrick Dixon is a business thinker.

He is often described in the media as Europe's leading Futurist and has been ranked as one of the 20 most influential business thinkers alive today (Thinkers 50 2005) (^*). Chairman of Global Change Ltd, he is author of twelve books (385,000 in print in 19 languages) including Futurewise.

Originally a physician by training, Dr Dixon has a Web TV site (^*) and a radio/TV studio in his home from which he broadcasts worldwide for the BBC and others.

Medical career

Dr Dixon studied Medical Sciences at Kings College Cambridge and continued medical training at Charing Cross Hospital London. In 1978, while a medical student he took a sabbatical (first of many) after founding the IT startup Medicom, selling medical software solutions in the UK and the Middle East, based on early personal computers. After qualifying as a physician he cared for those dying of cancer at St Joseph's Hospice and then as part of the Community Care Team based at University College Hospital London, while also continuing IT consulting part-time.

In 1987 he was asked as a care of the dying specialist to advise on the management of those with AIDS, and was deeply shocked by the poor treatment, prejudice and discrimination that many with AIDS were experiencing from hospitals, clinics and community services. In 1988 he launched the AIDS agency ACET, following publication of his first book "The Truth about AIDS", which provoked media debate by challenging many commonly held assumptions about HIV. This book anticipated the unfolding catastrophe that has since hit many nations in sub-Saharan Africa. ACET grew rapidly, providing home care services across London and other parts of the UK, as well as a national sex education programme in schools, reaching more than 450,000 students. Within the first three years, ACET programmes had also been established in Uganda, Romania and Thailand. Many other country programmes followed, all of which are now independent agencies, managed by their own national teams.

ACET is now a decentralised alliance of independent AIDS care and prevention programmes in places such as the UK, Ireland, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Thailand, India, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine and Russia - see http://www.acet-international.org.

Different country operations are now spawning their own partnerships and project relationships in many other nations. Although heavily involved with his wife Sheila on a day to day basis in supporting the Alliance, with several international partner visits each year, Dr Dixon has not treated patients for a decade. Their company Global Change Ltd provides all administration for the charity in the UK as well as helping support country projects.

Business Trends Analysis and Consulting

Patrick Dixon advises many multinationals on global trends and risk management, drawing on material in his books Futurewise and Building a Better Business.

Through the 1990s he wrote roughly one new book every year, covering a wide range of issues and trends including the digital society, biotechnology and politics. Several of these produced significant media coverage and resulted in invitations to speak to corporations about future challenges.

In 1997 he was invited to be a Fellow of the World Economic Forum at Davos, where he presented the Six Faces of the Future described in the book Futurewise. This led to further requests for lectures, seminars and consulting, particularly from banks and insurance companies, but also including energy, travel, tourism, manufacturing, distribution, pharma, telecom and IT companies. By 1999 he was teaching on a range of business school programmes, and his website had become an often quoted source.

Most of his work is with the senior teams of larger multinationals, as well as their clients, lecturing on risk management, new business opportunities, demographic shifts, consumer trends, emerging markets, corporate ethics, leadership and motivation.

Family

Dr Dixon is married to Sheila, with four grown up children, and lives in London where the family is active in local church and community life.

Books

Building a Better Business - Profile Books published 2005
Futurewise - Harper Collins 1998, 2001, Profile Books 2003, reprinted 2004, 2005
The Genetic Revolution - Kingsway 1993,1995
The Truth about Westminster - Kingsway 1995
The Truth about Drugs - Hodder 1996
The Truth about AIDS - Kingsway / ACET Int All 1987,1989,1994, new edition 2004
AIDS and Young People - Kingsway 1989,
AIDS and You - Kingsway / ACET Int All 1990, new edition 2004
The Rising Price of Love - Kingsway 1994
Signs of Revival - Kingsway 1994,1995
Out of the Ghetto - Word 1995
Island of Bolay - Harper Collins - airport bookstall novel / thriller
Cyberchurch - Kingsway 1996

Articles

Wake up to stronger tribes and a longer life - Financial Times
Death of National Stock Exchanges
Why market research doesn't work when predicting the future
Lessons for corporates from non-profits
Drug testing in the workplace
The death of shareholder value
The office can really get under your skin
Auditing trends
Designer babies
Future of human cloning

External links