Richard Dixon
Richard Dixon
Interim Dean
Contact information
Email: rdixon@athabascau.ca
Phone:
Richard Dixon specializes in regulation and professional regulators, strategic management and foresight, ethics, and energy research. His work is informed by extensive practical experience across government, private-sector, and non-profit contexts.
Richard is Interim Dean of the Faculty of Business at Athabasca University and serves as Co-Chair of the Management Department and Academic Co-ordinator. At Athabasca University, he co-led the development and delivery of North America’s first AI-powered virtual co-op program. In 2024, he received the Craig Cunningham Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence.
Previously, Richard was the first Chief of Strategic Foresight at the Alberta Energy Regulator, where he supported executive and board-level decision-making through strategic intelligence, foresight, and policy analysis. He was also the inaugural Executive Director of the Centre for Applied Business Research in Energy and the Environment (CABREE) and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta, where he taught graduate students, led major energy research initiatives, and regularly provided expert media commentary on energy and environmental issues.
Earlier in his career, Richard led the Strategic Intelligence Unit in Alberta Environment, identifying emerging energy and environmental risks and developing strategic responses for the ministry and the Government of Alberta. He co-chaired the Alberta government’s Emissions Trading Project, which received the Premier’s Gold Award of Excellence and formed the foundation for North America’s first mandatory carbon tax.
Richard is currently completing a PhD in Strategic Management and Ethics at Walden University. His doctoral research examines major governance and management changes affecting Canadian professions and professional regulatory bodies.
Research interests
- regulation
- professional regulators
- strategic management and foresight
- ethics
- energy and environment
- AI in education
Educational credentials
- Ph.D. pending (ABD), Walden University
- MBA, Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy, University of Alberta
- M.Div. Lutheran Theological Seminary, Saskatoon
Professional affiliations
- Association for Strategic Planning
- World Futures Society
- Association of Professional Futurists