Prior to joining FMC, Peter was the longest serving Deputy Minister in the Government of Canada. First appointed a Deputy Minister in 1991, he served as the most senior public servant in a number of federal departments including Treasury Board, Solicitor General, Citizenship and Immigration, Industry and Foreign Affairs and International Trade. At Foreign Affairs, Peter assumed the responsibilities of the Personal Representative of the Prime Minister to three G8 Summits (Sea Island, Gleneagles and St. Petersburg). Peter served as Co-Chair of the Canada China Strategic Working Group.

Peter has served on the Board of the Business Development Bank of Canada, the National Research Council and the Canadian Tourism Commission. He has also served as a member of the Canadian Space Agency Advisory Council and as an honourary Governor of the Public Policy Forum.

In 2000, the Governor General presented Peter with the Prime Minister’s Outstanding Achievement Award for public service leadership.  In 2002, Peter was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal for public service.  And in 2007, the President of Colombia named Peter grand master of the Order of San Carlos for his contribution to international relations.

Currently, Peter sits on the Board of Governors for the University of Ottawa.   He has also joined the Boards of Great-West Lifeco (London Life, Canada Life and Great-West Life), ARISE Technologies, Telesat Canada, and Pinetree Capital Limited.

In addition, Peter sits on the Board of Governors of the Canada China Business Council (CCBC), and on the Board of Directors of the Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association (CERBA). He is also a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

Peter is a Jury member for the tenth annual Donner Prize, and is a regular commentator on CBC Newsworld's Politics with Don Newman.