[1][2] Educated originally at Beckenham and Penge Grammar School, Wicks joined BP in 1958 at the age of 18.
[3] Whilst at BP, Wicks studied for a University of London external MA in business administration at the Portsmouth College of Technology, now part of the University of Portsmouth.
[1][3] In 1985, Wicks took up his position as Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, a post he held for three years until returning to the Treasury as Second Permanent Secretary with responsibility for International Finance, where he remained for twelve years until reaching mandatory retirement age in 2000.
Wicks also served as a non-executive director of Morgan Stanley for three years from 2004, and of the Edinburgh Investment Trust since 2005.
[1][3] In October 2012, Wicks was appointed chairman of the British Bankers' Association.