Profile Michael Dixon

Profile Dr Michael Dixon
Director the Natural History Museum London
to be published in the Sunday Times in October

The Natural History Museum in Kensington is on the threshold of the most dramatic chapter in its history since its foundation in 1881- the opening late next year of the Darwin Centre.

The giant concrete cocoon behind a wall of steel and glass will showcase the Museum’s hugely important scientific work. It will house hundreds of scientists, their research and millions of specimens.

“We are every bit as much an important scientific research institute on issues relating to the natural world as a place of public education and entertainment” says its Director Dr Michael Dixon. “ So our vision for the future is to advance knowledge about the natural world to inspire better care of the planet. It is about making a difference - making people who visit here feel differently about our planet and natural resources.”

He hopes that the sort of crowds who thrill to animatronic dinosaurs and showcases of creepy crawlies will also engage with the serious scientific work going on backstage. “Our ability to influence our visitors is underpinned and made credible by the scientific work we do here.”

It’s going to be a busy year for Dixon, 52, as he oversees the run-up to the opening of the £78 million project - a key element of 18 months celebrating Charles Darwin’s 200th anniversary. The scientist’s statue has recently been moved to look down on the Museum’s grand entrance hall.

A few days ago Dixon presided over the first public glimpse of the centre. He also gave the Shadow Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt a tour and showed him the Museum’s research departments.

Dixon studied zoology but though his alma mater Imperial College is a few doors away, he has not been a working scientist since gaining his doctorate. Instead he embarked on a career in publishing.

But after 20 years he returned to his first love as Director of the Zoological Society of London and, for the past four and a half years, in his present post on a salary of £166,000.

He is a full time administrator “but with a knowledge of how science works and of the politics of how science works and is funded.”

“But I do try to get out into the museum. I love the place and love this job. Its hardly like working really, except getting up and getting home in the dark. Long hours.”



He has a big team – more than 900 full time staff, including 350 scientists and an additional 313 volunteers. And the spend is also big – annually around £65 million derived from government grants, money from other sources and from its own revenues.

These include merchandising, museum restaurants and corporate events. London Fashion Week has just used the Museum’s gardens. “It generated a healthy income.”

And the visitors have swelled since admission fees were scrapped in 2001. Last year there were around 3.8 million and once the Darwin Centre opens its expected to top four million for the first time.