Before joining the United Nations, Patterson was the head of marketing and corporate communications for World Vision International. Similarly, he has held senior positions in the private sector including corporate communications manager for Kenya Airways, and the head of integrated marketing communications for Bidco Africa.  Patterson is passionate about social transformation especially where communities are empowered to decide their anticipated future and has played an instrumental role in organizing the media as an agent of development in the region. 

He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and a Bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communications from Daystar University. He is finalizing a Master of Arts degree in social transformation examining strategies that enable grassroots communities to build movements for social change.