Graham Dickson

WHAT GOT YOU STARTED?

by Burke Campbell

Published in the Financial Post 

April 7, 2008

Graham Dickson runs Arctic Kingdom ( www.arctickingdom.com ), a firm that specializes in Arctic travel and logistics.  Arctic Kingdom is located in Toronto, Ontario . Graham Dickson tells the Financial Post what motivated him to become an entrepreneur.

Globe trotter:  “Originally from Ottawa, I grew up in a diplomat’s family. We would travel all over the globe. At fifteen years of age, I started underwater diving and by university, while studying mechanical engineering, I was conducting diving trips.”

Call of the cold: “Most divers focus on warmer climates, but I set my sights on the  Arctic, conducting dives to view the whales, seals, and polar bears.”

Motivation: “On these adventures, I most enjoy showing others the time of their lives.”

Serial entrepreneur: “The more services we offered, the more people were attracted to Arctic travel, study, and recreation. I was asked to design trips to include iceberg riding.”

Big projects: “I’ve conducted northern expeditions for individuals, scientific groups, and producers of TV shows such as National Geographic and the BBC. We just organized the transport of people, food, and elaborate equipment for a film, a project that involved European financing and production, as well as  Hollywood expertise.”

Riding the crest: “Business is booming. Interest in the Arctic keeps growing because of awareness in global warming and concern for Canada’s northern boundaries and last frontier.”

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