- Patrick Dixon
Infobox Person
name = Patrick Dixon
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birth_date = 1957
birth_place = London
death_date =
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occupation =Futures studies
spouse = Sheila
parents =
children = FourDr Patrick Dixon is a business thinker and
futurist . His Web TV site [ [http://www.globalchange.com/cv.htm globalchange.com] - free online books, videos and presentations ] has more than 11 million unique users. He is Chairman of Global Change Ltd,Ciaran Parker, "The Thinkers 50". Praeger Publishers, 2005. ISBN 0-275-99145-8] author of twelve books (485,000 printed in 23 languages) including "Futurewise " and "Building a Better Business ", has spoken to audiences in 50 nations, has given hundreds of radio and TV interviews on major issues and trends, and has been ranked as one of the 20 most influential business thinkers alive today. [http://www.thinkers50.com/?page=2005 Thinkers 50 2005]Medical career
Patrick Dixon studied Medical Sciences at
King's College, Cambridge and continued medical training atCharing Cross Hospital , London. In 1978, while a medical student he took a sabbatical (the 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 atSt Joseph's Hospice and then as part of the Community Care Team based atUniversity College Hospital , London, while also continuing IT consulting part-time.In 1987 he was asked as a specialist in care of the dying 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 launchedACET (Aids Charity) , following publication of his first book "The Truth about AIDS", which provoked media debate by challenging many commonly held assumptions aboutHIV . This book anticipated the unfolding catastrophe that has since hit many nations insub-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 inUganda ,Romania andThailand . 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 andRussia . [ [http://www.acet-international.org 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 administrative support 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 " which in turn are based on comprehensive research.Through the 1990s he wrote roughly one new book every year, covering a wide range of issues and trends including risk management, digital society, geopolitics, consumer shifts, health care, biotechnology, social issues, politics and business ethics. Several of these achieved significant media coverage and resulted in many invitations to speak to multinational 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 web TV site had become an often quoted source.Most of his work is with the senior teams of larger multinationals, as well as their clients, helping them identify new business opportunities, and to develop new strategy responding to new technologies, rapid changes in customer expectations, demographic shifts, competitor innovation and changes in emerging markets. He also works with corporations on other issues such as corporate ethics, corporate responsibility, winning the war for talent, team leadership and motivation. He is a frequent contributor to radio / TV current affairs and news programmes around the world, commenting on a wide range of trends, with a cumulative audience reach of more than 400 million people.
His thesis is described in the opening sentences of
Futurewise :* "Your company may have a reputation for brilliant leadership, outstanding innovation, clever branding and effective change management, but the business could fail if the world changes and you are unprepared."
* "The larger the corporation, the greater the risk that you are flying blind."
* "Institutional blindness is a major threat to the future of all corporations."Futurewise describes Six Faces of the Future (FUTURE) which will impact every large business: F ast, U rban, T ribal, U niversal, R adical and E thical.His most recent book
Building a Better Business is a guide to management, marketing and motivation, covering issues randing from team leadership and change management to corporate governance, branding and marketing.* People will only follow you if they see you're ahead, are convinced you know the route, trust you, and want to get there too.
* Life's too short to sell things you don't believe in.
* The future of marketing belongs to honest information, accurate data and clear claims based on truth.
* Every product and service is sold on the promise of a better future. The purpose of business is to deliver on the promise, and profit is the reward for doing so.
* Business strategy is the battleplan for a better future.
* You can have the greatest strategy in the world, but what is the point if no one cares?
* Connect with all the passions people have—for themselves, their families, their communities and wider world—and they will follow you to the ends of the earth, buy your products and services with pride, and may even be willing to work for you for next to nothing.
* When you have been close to death it makes you think about life.
* Give people a convincing reason and they will lay down their very lives.
* All the most powerful speeches ever made point to a better future.
* You cannot have strong leadership without passion.
* Mission is at the heart of what you do as a team. Goals are merely steps to its achievement.
Intellectual capital
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