He was the principal for two occupational health practices, advising Barclays Bank, Rio Tinto and other multi-national companies from 1980 to 1994.
A lifelong member of the Conservative Party, Goodson-Wickes was elected to the House of Commons in 1987 representing Wimbledon, having previously unsuccessfully contested Islington Central in 1979.
He re-enlisted in 1991 as a lieutenant colonel to serve in the First Gulf War with HQ 7th Armoured Brigade, seeing action in the advance from Saudi Arabia through Iraq to the liberation of Kuwait.
He was the first sitting member of the House of Commons to see active service in the armed forces since World War II.
He is currently the chief executive of consultancy company Medarc Ltd and the chairman of the board of directors Thomas Greg and Sons Ltd, security printers operating in North and South America, India, China and the Philippines.
He was the director general of Canning House (2010–12), the London-based foundation dedicated to the promotion of diplomatic, political, commercial and cultural relations between the UK, Latin America and Iberia.