You may have arrived here carrying a question about a family enterprise, a succession not yet settled, a transition that has begun without clear ground beneath it, or a difficulty that does not resolve on the timeline you would have chosen.
​
I am Trevor Dickinson, a fourth-generation family business leader and the author of LEGACY: The Inheritance Paradox, a memoir documenting what 115 years of family enterprise cost and taught across four generations.
​​
​
My work is delivered through two practices. Family Legacies advises multigenerational family enterprises on succession, governance, conflict, and exit. The Practised Life offers meaning-centred coaching and mentoring, grounded in Stoic philosophy and Viktor Frankl's logotherapy, for individuals navigating sustained adversity.
​
The two practices serve different needs. They share a single source: 36 years of lived authority inside a family enterprise, and 17 years of documented philosophical practice.
THE TRAINING GROUND
The Dickinson Group of Companies is a 115-year-old South African industrial enterprise, founded in 1910 by Trevor Dickinson's great-grandfather.
The Dickinson Group of Companies
Built and led across four successive generations, the group specialises in refractory and industrial services for the pyrometallurgical sector, with operations across sub-Saharan Africa and Saudi Arabia. In recent years, the group has expanded into specialist recruitment and workforce solutions for the mining and industrial sectors, operating across Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
Under Trevor's leadership, the group has been restructured and rebuilt, with a fifth generation now entering the enterprise and a considered generational transition underway.
TREVOR DICKINSON’S CREDENTIALS
MBA
Wits Business School (succession planning thesis)
BSC HONOURS
University of KwaZulu-Natal
CFBA
Certificate in Family Business Advising, Family Firm Institute
CFWA
Certificate in Family Wealth Advising, Family Firm Institute
CEPA
Certified Exit Planning Adviser, Exit Planning Institute
IMI CERTIFIED MEDIATOR
London School of Mediation
COMMERCIAL MEDIATION SKILLS TRAINING
Conflict Dynamics
LOGOTHERAPY TRAINING
Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy South Africa (in progress)
"A message may not be heard without the right messenger; you were the right messenger."
​
"Silence is not positive or golden. You were able to draw out discussion in an all-inclusive forum. You made the need to speak out better known."
FOUNDER AND CEO, SECOND GENERATION FAMILY BUSINESS
"He displayed sound judgement in complex circumstances, and an ability to hold competing interests and perspectives without becoming reactive or intemperate. He was able to absorb pressure without losing sight of the broader context, and consistently demonstrated maturity, composure, and fairness. He has a genuine appreciation for complexity in human and commercial relationships, particularly where interests diverge, and emotions run high."
SENIOR BUSINESS RESCUE PRACTITIONER, DICKINSON GROUP BUSINESS RESCUE PROCEEDINGS
"His research and studies into the psychology of family enterprise and its dynamic challenges are singularly unique, ready to be employed by any family business wishing to flourish despite its inherent challenges. Trevor Dickinson is academically and professionally outstandingly equipped to provide this service as a pioneer within this dynamic domain."
PROFESSOR JOHANN COETZEE, INDUSTRIAL AND CONSULTING PSYCHOLOGIST
"It was a pleasure working with you. One aspect that struck me, and that I appreciated, was your personal concern for a successful conclusion. I would like to thank you for your very professional approach and guidance. On a personal note, it was a pleasure to meet you, and I enjoyed your company and enthusiasm for life."
FOUNDER, SECOND GENERATION FAMILY BUSINESS
"His ability to listen, seek clarity, distil the key issues, and engage constructively with all parties has earned him the confidence of those around him. His ability to commit his thoughts to writing with clarity and balance significantly contributes to stakeholder communication and understanding."
ANDREW CONNOLD, BUSINESS COACH — THREE-YEAR PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE DICKINSON GROUP
"He has demonstrated the capacity to engage constructively with complexity, maintain consistency under pressure, and approach sensitive matters with a high degree of responsibility and care. In our view, these qualities align strongly with the standards and attributes expected of a mediation panel member."
JEANDRÉ DU TOIT, CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT — AUDITORS TO THE DICKINSON GROUP OF COMPANIES SINCE 2014
"Trevor is able to hold complexity without rushing to premature judgment. He listens carefully, weighs competing considerations, and then methodically breaks matters down into practical, logical, and workable solutions. He has the character, maturity, and temperament suited to the responsibilities and sensitivities of commercial mediation."
DU TOIT VAN DEN BERGH, INDEPENDENT TRUSTEE AND FINANCIAL ADVISER — TWELVE-YEAR PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP