Patrick Dixon

Medical career

Patrick Dixon studied Medical Sciences at King's College, Cambridge and continued medical training at Charing Cross Hospital, London. In 1978, while a medical student, he founded 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 people 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 1988 he launched the AIDS charity ACET, following publication of his first book The Truth about AIDS, which warned of an 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.

Dixon no longer practices as a physician, but remains actively involved as Chairman of the ACET International Alliance. This is now a network of independent national AIDS care and prevention programmes, sharing the same name and values, active in 23 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Trends analysis, business consulting and writing

Patrick Dixon now advises large corporations in many different industries on trends, strategy, risk management and opportunities for innovation, giving keynotes to thousands of business leaders at corporate events each year.

Since the 1990s Dixon has written 15 books covering a wide range of issues and macro-trends including social media, multichannel marketing, consumer shifts, demographics, rise of emerging economies, health care, biotechnology, social issues, sustainability, politics and business ethics.

Futurewise, first published in 1998, uses the word FUTURE as a mnemonic standing for "Six Faces of the Future" which will impact every large business: Fast, Urban, Tribal, Universal, Radical and Ethical. Dixon is optimistic about the capacity of human innovation to solve complex challenges:

This millennium will witness the greatest challenges to human survival that we have ever seen, and many of them will face us in the early years of the first century. It will also provide us with science and technology beyond our greatest imaginings, and the greatest shift in values for over 50 years. Futurewise, page xi

Building a Better Business, published in 2005, describes a new approach to leadership, management, marketing, teams, brands, customer relations, innovation, strategy, corporate governance and values. The book applies lessons from volunteering and non-profit organisations in motivating and inspiring large numbers of people to achieve great things. In it, Dixon argues that all successful leadership derives from an appeal to a common desire for a better future—for customers, workers, shareholders and communities. He attacks the "dangerous" obsession with shareholder value in many global corporations:

Our society has come to see that a strategy to build shareholder value without a clear mission based on robust ethical values, is a complete nonsense. In fact it has proved one of the fastest ways of destroying an entire global business.

Sustainagility, published in 2010 and co-authored by Johan Gorecki, describes green technology and innovations across a wide range of industries, which Dixon believes will help to transform and protect the world.

Personal life

Dixon is married to Sheila, with four grown up children including the pop artist Paul Dixon (known as fyfe, previously David's Lyre), and lives in London where the family is active in local church and community life.

Works

Patrick Dixon publishes video messages on his web TV site. He claims over 15 million viewers, and YouTube shows over 5 million video views on his channel there.

Books

The Thinkers 50 noted Dixon's relaxed attitude to his own intellectual capital, in that he makes much of it available from the Global Change website without charge.

Selected articles