Michael Dixon (museum director)

For other people named Michael Dixon, see Michael Dixon (disambiguation).

Sir Michael Dixon DL (born 16 March 1956) is the principal of Green Templeton College at the University of Oxford and former director of the Natural History Museum, London.

Sir Michael Dixon DL ARCS
Michael Dixon in November 2016
Principal of Green Templeton College, Oxford
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 September 2020
Preceded by	Sir Neil Chalmers
Personal details
Born	(1956-03-16) 16 March 1956 (age 69)
Alma mater	Imperial College London (BSc) University of York (DPhil)

Early life

Dixon was born on 16 March 1956. He was educated at Tiffin School, a boys grammar school in Kingston upon Thames.^[1] He studied at Imperial College London, graduating Bachelor of Science (BSc) and was awarded Associateship of the Royal College of Science (ARCS). He undertook postgraduate studies at the University of York, completing his Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree in 1984.^[2]

Career

He was director general of the Zoological Society of London and became director of the Natural History Museum on 1 June 2004.^[3] The appointment of Dixon at the NHM is noteworthy in its marking a break with tradition in which the director has been an eminent practising scientist.

As of 2015, Dixon was paid a salary of between £160,000 and £164,999 by the Natural History Museum, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time.^[4]

He was knighted in the Birthday Honours for 2014 in recognition of his services to museums.^[5]

Dixon was elected principal of Green Templeton College, Oxford in 2019 and took up office in September 2020.^[6]

Personal life

In 1988, Dixon married Richenda Milton-Thompson. Together they had two children; a daughter, Isabel (born 1990) and a son, Samuel (born 1992). They divorced in 1999. In 2001, he married for a second time to Deborah Mary Reece (née McMahon). Together they have one son, Noah (born 1999).^[2]