Peter is Co-founder and President of Global Counsel, and Chairman of the International Advisory Board. He is a former European Trade Commissioner and British First Secretary of State. As Trade Commissioner between 2004 and 2008, he negotiated trade agreements with many G7 and G20 countries and led European negotiations in the WTO Doha World Trade Round. Prior to this, he held a number of Cabinet posts under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Northern Ireland Secretary and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. He was Member of Parliament for Hartlepool in the UK from 1992 until 2004 and Director of Campaigns and Communications for the Labour Party between 1985 and 1990. As well as President of Global Counsel, Peter is a member of the Group Holding Board of the Bank of London and a member of the International Advisory Committee of BlueVoyant, a cyber security company. He is a Governor and Member of the Council of Management at the Ditchley Foundation and Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University. He chaired the board of the Design Museum in London from 2017 to 2023.