Simon Dixon (businessman)

Simon Dixon (born 4 November 1980) is an English businessman, entrepreneur, author and banking reformer. He worked his way into the City of London as a trader and investment banker (corporate finance) and later founded two companies in the Banking and Finance world. He is the author of two books: Student to CEO and Bank to the Future. He is an ACTIVE banking reformer.

Early life

Simon Dixon graduated from his high school years at Clifton College. He pursued a BSc at the Kingston University majoring in Economics. He went on to earn a Masters degree in Economics at the University of Manchester.

Career

City

Originally trained as an economist, Simon entered the City of London aspiring to become a trader. After his Masters degree, he got his first job in the corporate world as a tea boy at TD Waterhouse. After working his way up to a stockbroker at Manchester TD WaterHouse, he became a Market Maker (trader) and then an investment banker at KBC Peel Hunt (Now Peel Hunt) in London.

Ventures

BankToTheFuture.com

This new Venture was launched with the vision to become a social media P2P (Peer-to-peer) [6] bank. It's the world’s first social network financial institution where businesses, entrepreneurs and investors can fund, borrow, raise finance and invest in each other in a number of different ways. Simon Dixon's aim on this launch was to help smaller entrepreneurs and businesses raise finance in ways that were only available to large companies who could afford to work with investment banks to raise hundreds of millions in the past, as well as help smaller investors get a return on their savings either through rewards, interest or equity. This company goes in line with his activism in reforming the banking system. It provides a working model of how a new monetary system may be implemented. An alternative method of banking that can help fuel a more entrepreneurial future.

Benedix (BankTalkShow.com)

Originally started as a trading club at his house, this venture gradually evolved to become the worlds leading training and consultancy company for students and graduates seeking careers in banking and finance after securing angel funding from billionaire Peter Hargreaves, the founder of Hargreaves Lansdown, the UK wealth management institution. The trading club became a trading consultancy company in 2006 and secured partnerships with some big financial players; among them Man Group and City Index. After presenting in universities, the venture became Benedix and expanded its brand as a consultancy company for students and graduates that are seeking banking & finance careers within the city. Benedix was later acquired by BankTalkShow.com

Author

Simon Dixon is the author of two books

  • Student to CEO : 97 ways to influence your way to the top in Banking and Finance
  • Bank to the Future: Protect your future before governments go bust

Media appearances/public speaking

Through his work with students, he has guest spoke at hundreds of universities and colleges worldwide, as well as being featured on Channel 4, BBC and Bloomberg sharing his journey from tea boy to Stock Broker, to City Trader, to Investment Banker to CEO, all before the age of 30. He has also provided commentary for the BBC, Channel 4, Bloomberg and major papers like FT, Guardian, Times, City AM, Investors Chronicle, etc.

Activism

Dixon campaigns for reforms in the banking and finance industries. He believes that banks should not be allowed to create money out of thin air and that that they should compete on a level playing field with alternative non-banks to lend and borrow through online relationships.

He promotes three main reforms in banking:

(1) Banks should no longer be the legal owner of your money when you deposit it at a bank; (2) Banks should be forced to tell it's customer what their money is being used for; (3) Banks should no longer be allowed to create money through credit

He supports proposals put forward to the Independent Commission On Banking (ICB) by Positive Money and famously shared his speech on banking reform with the crowds at Occupy London in 2011 and TEDx.

Dixon advocates that banking can truly be reformed by investing in alternative banking technology, educating the next generation of banking and finance professionals, and marketing the political campaign for banking reform.

Charity

Simon Dixon is actively involved in the "Peace One Day" non profit organization as well as supporting banking reform non-profit Positive Money.