Peter Sutherland
Encyclopedia
Peter Denis Sutherland, KCMG (hon) (born 25 April 1946) is an Irish international businessman and former Attorney General of Ireland
, associated with the Fine Gael
party (part of the European People's Party
bloc). He is a barrister
by profession, and is also Senior Counsel
at the Irish Bar. He is also known for serving in a variety of business and political roles.
UCD's law school is to be named the Sutherland School of Law following the completion of its rebuild in 2012. He is a chairman of Goldman Sachs International and was influential in the decision to bail out the Irish banks in 2009.
, a Jesuit day school in Dublin and then studied law at University College Dublin. He played prop forward for the UCD rugby team and was club captain, a role he later filled at Landsdowne Football Club, before retiring from the sport in his mid-20s. He remains an active member of Lansdowne F.C.
, he stood as a Fine Gael
candidate in the Dublin North West
constituency. He received 1,969 votes (6.2%) and was not elected. In 1981, aged 34, he became the youngest Attorney General of Ireland
. He served under two Governments led by Garret FitzGerald
. He also advised the FitzGerald government on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland
which introduced a constitutional ban on abortion, though Sutherland opposed the wording on grounds that it was ambiguous and unclear.
in 1985 and had responsibility for competition policy and, initially for 1985 only, also for education. He has said that he was especially pleased to have proposed the establishment of the ERASMUS programme (European Regional Action Scheme for Mobility of University Students) that allows European University students to study in other member states.
He was Chairman of the Committee that produced The Sutherland Report on the completion of the Internal Market of the EEC, commissioned by the European Commission
and presented to the European Council
at its Edinburgh meeting in 1992.
He was the youngest ever European Commissioner
and served in the first Delors Commission
, where he played a crucial role in opening up competition across Europe, particularly the airline, telecoms, and energy sectors. Subsequently he was Director General of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
(now the World Trade Organisation). Later Mickey Kantor
, the US Trade Minister, credited him with being the father of globalization and said that without him there would have been no WTO. The Uruguay round of global trade talks, concluded in 1994 with Sutherland as chair of GATT, produced the biggest trade agreement in history and established the World Trade Organisation.
Chairman of the Advisory Council to the Director General of the World Trade Organisation that produced the Report on the Future of the World Trade Organisation published in 2005.
). Until June 2009 he was non-executive chairman of BP
being replaced by Carl-Henric Svanberg
formely chief executive officer of Ericsson
. Sutherland was a director of the Royal Bank of Scotland
Group until he was asked to leave the board when it had to be taken over by the UK government to avoid bankruptcy. He also formerly served on the board of ABB
.
He is on the steering committee of the Bilderberg Group
, he is an Honorary Chairman of the Trilateral Commission (2010 -), he was Chairman of the Trilateral Commission
(Europe) (2001 - 2010) and was vice chairman of the European Round Table of Industrialists
(2006-2009).
He was Chairman of the Board of Governors of the European Institute of Public Administration (Maastrict) from 1991 to 1996. He is Honorary President of the European Movement Ireland
.
He was appointed as a member of the Hong Kong Chief Executive's Council of International Advisers
in the years of 1998–2005.
He produced the Sutherland Report for the Portuguese Government on the handover of Macao to China in January 2000
He is President of the Federal Trust for Education and Research, a British think tank. He was Chairman of The Ireland Fund of Great Britain from 2001 to 2009 , part of The Ireland Funds
. He is a member of the advisory council of Business for New Europe, a British pro-European think-tank.
He was a member of the Commission on Human Security set up by the Japanese Government that reported to the United Nations
in 2003.
In 2005, he was appointed as Goodwill Ambassador
for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization
. In Spring 2006 he was appointed Chair of London School of Economics
Council commencing in 2008.
Sutherland also serves on the International Advisory Board of IESE
, the eminent graduate business school of the prestigious Spanish university, the University of Navarra
.
In January 2006, he was appointed by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan
as his Special Representative for Migration. In this position, he was responsible for promoting the establishment of a Global Forum on Migration and Development, a state-led effort open to all UN members that is meant to help governments better understand how migration can benefit their development goals. The Global Forum was acclaimed by UN Member States at the UN High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, in September 2006, and will be launched in Brussels in July 2007.
On 5 December 2006, he was appointed as Consultor of the Extraordinary Section of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (a financial adviser to the Vatican
).
On 22 January 2010 he said while in Dublin that Ireland should have fewer universities.
In September 2010 ahead of the Irish government budget for 2011, Sutherland said that the proposed €3bn of cuts in expenditure, “The figure of €3 billion has been postulated as the improvement to be sought in the next budget,” he said. “We are told that this is all that the political system can bear, but if all the mainstream political parties accept that more is required – although disagreeing perhaps about where to find the €3 billion – and are prepared to say it, we can find a way.” Sutherland said a default on State debts would leave the Government without the capacity to manage its affairs or raise finance. “It simply is not an option to choose,” he said.
Sutherland is also co-Chairman of the High Level Group appointed by the Governments of Germany
, Great Britain
, Indonesia
and Turkey
to report on the conclusion of the Doha Round and the future of multilateral trade negotiations. Report issued in May 2011.
in early 2010, Sutherland revealed that in summer 2009, during a holiday, one of his children noticed a swelling on his throat while they sat on a beach. Within a week he was back home in London undergoing a major operation. Sutherland had an operation for throat cancer in August 2009 and following the operation he underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
For Sutherland, a Europhile, the worst part about his illness was missing the “mortal combat” of fighting for the Yes vote in the second Lisbon referendum.
Sutherland visited Brian Lenihan
to tell him what a great job he thought he was doing and to say that Lenihan had the potential to be one of the great taoisigh
of the 21st century. Lenihan was taken aback, he says. Sutherland believes Ireland failed in economic terms over most of the past four decades with the exception of a “sparkling period” from 1994 to 2002 when the State took advantage of EU changes freeing up the movement of goods, capital and services across Europe.
Outside banking, Sutherland in early 2010 finished a 13-year stint as chairman of BP
, Europe’s largest oil company. At one point during his tenure, the company was valued on the stock market at £236 billion (it is currently worth about £120 billion) and was making £42 million a day in profits.
He was twice offered the job of UN High Commissioner for Refugees by Kofi Annan
, a fact, he says, that he has never disclosed publicly before, but he declined both times due to other commitments. He cites his work at GATT and the introduction of the Erasmus student exchange programme when he briefly held the education portfolio at the Commission in 1986 as his two most rewarding achievements.
Regarding the next stage of his career, Surtherland disclosed that he has decided to join three boards – at German insurer Allianz
; Koç Holding
, Turkey’s largest conglomerate; and a shipping company, BW Shipping located in Singapore.
In November 2010, he renewed his involvement in trade issues when he was appointed co-chair of an Experts Group, created by the heads of government of Germany, Great Britain, Indonesia and Turkey, to report on the priority actions to be taken to combat protectionism and to boost global trade. The Trade Experts Group's interim report was launched at Davos on January 28, 2011.
Peter has received a total of fifteen honorary doctorates from universities in Europe and America (inclusive of the above).
Attorney General of Ireland
The Attorney General is a constitutional officer who is the official adviser to the Government of Ireland in matters of law. He is in effect the chief law officer in Ireland. The Attorney General is not a member of the Government but does participate in cabinet meetings when invited and attends...
, associated with the Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
party (part of the European People's Party
European People's Party
The European People's Party is a pro-European centre-right European political party. The EPP was founded in 1976 by Christian democratic parties, but later it increased its membership to include conservative parties and parties of other centre-right perspectives.The EPP is the most influential of...
bloc). He is a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
by profession, and is also Senior Counsel
Senior Counsel
The title of Senior Counsel or State Counsel is given to a senior barrister or advocate in some countries, typically equivalent to the title "Queen's Counsel" used in Commonwealth Realms...
at the Irish Bar. He is also known for serving in a variety of business and political roles.
UCD's law school is to be named the Sutherland School of Law following the completion of its rebuild in 2012. He is a chairman of Goldman Sachs International and was influential in the decision to bail out the Irish banks in 2009.
Early life
Son of the late William "Billy" Sutherland, an insurance broker, Peter Sutherland was educated at Gonzaga CollegeGonzaga College
Gonzaga College is a private Roman Catholic boys' secondary school in Ranelagh, Dublin, Ireland , under the trusteeship of the Society of Jesus . Founded in 1950, the curriculum is traditional, with a broad general programme of subjects including Latin and Greek at junior cycle and the opportunity...
, a Jesuit day school in Dublin and then studied law at University College Dublin. He played prop forward for the UCD rugby team and was club captain, a role he later filled at Landsdowne Football Club, before retiring from the sport in his mid-20s. He remains an active member of Lansdowne F.C.
Attorney General and politics
After UCD, he studied at the King's Inns in Dublin and was called to the Bar in 1969. At the 1973 Irish general electionIrish general election, 1973
The Irish general election of 1973 was held on 28 February 1973. The newly elected 144 members of the 20th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 4 March when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
, he stood as a Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
candidate in the Dublin North West
Dublin North West (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin North–West is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies...
constituency. He received 1,969 votes (6.2%) and was not elected. In 1981, aged 34, he became the youngest Attorney General of Ireland
Attorney General of Ireland
The Attorney General is a constitutional officer who is the official adviser to the Government of Ireland in matters of law. He is in effect the chief law officer in Ireland. The Attorney General is not a member of the Government but does participate in cabinet meetings when invited and attends...
. He served under two Governments led by Garret FitzGerald
Garret FitzGerald
Garret FitzGerald was an Irish politician who was twice Taoiseach of Ireland, serving in office from July 1981 to February 1982 and again from December 1982 to March 1987. FitzGerald was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1965 and was subsequently elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD in 1969. He...
. He also advised the FitzGerald government on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland
Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland
The Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland introduced a constitutional ban on abortion. It was effected by the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1983, which was approved by referendum on 7 September 1983 and signed into law on the 7 October of the same year.-Changes to the...
which introduced a constitutional ban on abortion, though Sutherland opposed the wording on grounds that it was ambiguous and unclear.
EU Commissioner and head of the World Trade Organisation
He was appointed to the European CommissionEuropean Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
in 1985 and had responsibility for competition policy and, initially for 1985 only, also for education. He has said that he was especially pleased to have proposed the establishment of the ERASMUS programme (European Regional Action Scheme for Mobility of University Students) that allows European University students to study in other member states.
He was Chairman of the Committee that produced The Sutherland Report on the completion of the Internal Market of the EEC, commissioned by the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
and presented to the European Council
European Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
at its Edinburgh meeting in 1992.
He was the youngest ever European Commissioner
European Commissioner
A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each Member within the college holds a specific portfolio and are led by the President of the European Commission...
and served in the first Delors Commission
Delors Commission
The Delors Commission was the administration of Jacques Delors, the 8th President of the European Commission. Delors presided over the European Commission for three terms The Delors Commission was the administration of Jacques Delors, the 8th President of the European Commission. Delors presided...
, where he played a crucial role in opening up competition across Europe, particularly the airline, telecoms, and energy sectors. Subsequently he was Director General of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was negotiated during the UN Conference on Trade and Employment and was the outcome of the failure of negotiating governments to create the International Trade Organization . GATT was signed in 1947 and lasted until 1993, when it was replaced by the World...
(now the World Trade Organisation). Later Mickey Kantor
Mickey Kantor
Michael "Mickey" Kantor is an American politician and lawyer. After serving as the Clinton-Gore campaign chair in 1992, Kantor was appointed United States Trade Representative, holding that office from 1993 to 1997. He was, in 1996 and 1997, United States Secretary of Commerce.-Life and...
, the US Trade Minister, credited him with being the father of globalization and said that without him there would have been no WTO. The Uruguay round of global trade talks, concluded in 1994 with Sutherland as chair of GATT, produced the biggest trade agreement in history and established the World Trade Organisation.
Chairman of the Advisory Council to the Director General of the World Trade Organisation that produced the Report on the Future of the World Trade Organisation published in 2005.
Business
He is non-executive Chairman of Goldman Sachs International (a registered UK broker-dealer, a subsidiary of Goldman SachsGoldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
). Until June 2009 he was non-executive chairman of BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
being replaced by Carl-Henric Svanberg
Carl-Henric Svanberg
Carl-Henric Svanberg, born on May 29 1952 in Porjus, Sweden, is a businessman and current Chairman of BP.-Life and career:Svanberg holds a Master's degree in Applied Physics from the Linköping Institute of Technology and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Uppsala University...
formely chief executive officer of Ericsson
Ericsson
Ericsson , one of Sweden's largest companies, is a provider of telecommunication and data communication systems, and related services, covering a range of technologies, including especially mobile networks...
. Sutherland was a director of the Royal Bank of Scotland
Royal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
Group until he was asked to leave the board when it had to be taken over by the UK government to avoid bankruptcy. He also formerly served on the board of ABB
Asea Brown Boveri
ABB is a Swiss-Swedish multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, and best known for its robotics. ABB operates mainly in the power and automation technology areas. It ranked 143rd in Forbes Ranking ....
.
He is on the steering committee of the Bilderberg Group
Bilderberg Group
The Bilderberg Group, Bilderberg conference, or Bilderberg Club is an annual, unofficial, invitation-only conference of approximately 120 to 140 guests from North America and Western Europe, most of whom are people of influence. About one-third are from government and politics, and two-thirds from...
, he is an Honorary Chairman of the Trilateral Commission (2010 -), he was Chairman of the Trilateral Commission
Trilateral Commission
The Trilateral Commission is a non-governmental, non-partisan discussion group founded by David Rockefeller in July 1973 to foster closer cooperation among the United States, Europe and Japan.-History:...
(Europe) (2001 - 2010) and was vice chairman of the European Round Table of Industrialists
European Round Table of Industrialists
The European Round Table of Industrialists was born out of a growing preoccupation with thestate of the European economy in the early 1980s. Frequently diagnosed as “eurosclerosis”, the...
(2006-2009).
He was Chairman of the Board of Governors of the European Institute of Public Administration (Maastrict) from 1991 to 1996. He is Honorary President of the European Movement Ireland
European Movement Ireland
The European Movement Ireland is an independent not-for-profit that campaigns for every Irish person to get involved in the European Union and by doing so, help shape it. It is the oldest Irish organisation dealing with the EU, pre-dating Ireland’s membership of the EU in 1973 by almost twenty years...
.
Chief Executive of Hong Kong
The Chief Executive of Hong Kong is the President of the Executive Council of Hong Kong and head of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The position was created to replace the Governor of Hong Kong, who was the head of the Hong Kong government during British rule...
in the years of 1998–2005.
He produced the Sutherland Report for the Portuguese Government on the handover of Macao to China in January 2000
He is President of the Federal Trust for Education and Research, a British think tank. He was Chairman of The Ireland Fund of Great Britain from 2001 to 2009 , part of The Ireland Funds
The Ireland Funds
The Ireland Funds are a global fundraising network for people of Irish ancestry and friends of Ireland, dedicated to raising funds to support programs of peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education and community development throughout the island of Ireland...
. He is a member of the advisory council of Business for New Europe, a British pro-European think-tank.
He was a member of the Commission on Human Security set up by the Japanese Government that reported to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in 2003.
In 2005, he was appointed as Goodwill Ambassador
UNIDO Goodwill Ambassador
UNIDO Goodwill Ambassadors are expert advocates of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and use their talent and experience to advocate for sustainable industrial development in developing countries...
for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization , French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system, headquartered in Vienna, Austria...
. In Spring 2006 he was appointed Chair of London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
Council commencing in 2008.
Sutherland also serves on the International Advisory Board of IESE
IESE
IESE Business School is the graduate business school of the University of Navarra. IESE has campuses in Barcelona, Madrid, and New York City and teaching facilities in Munich and Sao Paulo...
, the eminent graduate business school of the prestigious Spanish university, the University of Navarra
University of Navarra
The University of Navarra is a private pontifical university based at the southeast border of Pamplona, Spain. It was founded in 1952 by St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, the founder of Opus Dei as a corporate work of the apostolate of Opus Dei....
.
In January 2006, he was appointed by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
as his Special Representative for Migration. In this position, he was responsible for promoting the establishment of a Global Forum on Migration and Development, a state-led effort open to all UN members that is meant to help governments better understand how migration can benefit their development goals. The Global Forum was acclaimed by UN Member States at the UN High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, in September 2006, and will be launched in Brussels in July 2007.
On 5 December 2006, he was appointed as Consultor of the Extraordinary Section of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (a financial adviser to the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
).
On 22 January 2010 he said while in Dublin that Ireland should have fewer universities.
In September 2010 ahead of the Irish government budget for 2011, Sutherland said that the proposed €3bn of cuts in expenditure, “The figure of €3 billion has been postulated as the improvement to be sought in the next budget,” he said. “We are told that this is all that the political system can bear, but if all the mainstream political parties accept that more is required – although disagreeing perhaps about where to find the €3 billion – and are prepared to say it, we can find a way.” Sutherland said a default on State debts would leave the Government without the capacity to manage its affairs or raise finance. “It simply is not an option to choose,” he said.
Sutherland is also co-Chairman of the High Level Group appointed by the Governments of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
to report on the conclusion of the Doha Round and the future of multilateral trade negotiations. Report issued in May 2011.
2010 interview
In an interview with The Irish TimesThe Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
in early 2010, Sutherland revealed that in summer 2009, during a holiday, one of his children noticed a swelling on his throat while they sat on a beach. Within a week he was back home in London undergoing a major operation. Sutherland had an operation for throat cancer in August 2009 and following the operation he underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
For Sutherland, a Europhile, the worst part about his illness was missing the “mortal combat” of fighting for the Yes vote in the second Lisbon referendum.
Sutherland visited Brian Lenihan
Brian Lenihan
Brian Patrick Lenihan was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician, who served in a range of cabinet positions, most notably as Tánaiste , Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Justice....
to tell him what a great job he thought he was doing and to say that Lenihan had the potential to be one of the great taoisigh
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
of the 21st century. Lenihan was taken aback, he says. Sutherland believes Ireland failed in economic terms over most of the past four decades with the exception of a “sparkling period” from 1994 to 2002 when the State took advantage of EU changes freeing up the movement of goods, capital and services across Europe.
Outside banking, Sutherland in early 2010 finished a 13-year stint as chairman of BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
, Europe’s largest oil company. At one point during his tenure, the company was valued on the stock market at £236 billion (it is currently worth about £120 billion) and was making £42 million a day in profits.
He was twice offered the job of UN High Commissioner for Refugees by Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
, a fact, he says, that he has never disclosed publicly before, but he declined both times due to other commitments. He cites his work at GATT and the introduction of the Erasmus student exchange programme when he briefly held the education portfolio at the Commission in 1986 as his two most rewarding achievements.
Regarding the next stage of his career, Surtherland disclosed that he has decided to join three boards – at German insurer Allianz
Allianz
SE is a global financial services company headquartered in Munich, Germany. Its core business and focus is insurance. As of 2010, it was the world's 12th-largest financial services group and 23rd-largest company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine.Its Allianz Global Investors...
; Koç Holding
Koç Holding
Koç Holding A.Ş. is the top industrial conglomeratein Turkey. The Koç family, one of Turkey's wealthiest families, controls the company with its headquarter in Nakkaştepe, Istanbul...
, Turkey’s largest conglomerate; and a shipping company, BW Shipping located in Singapore.
In November 2010, he renewed his involvement in trade issues when he was appointed co-chair of an Experts Group, created by the heads of government of Germany, Great Britain, Indonesia and Turkey, to report on the priority actions to be taken to combat protectionism and to boost global trade. The Trade Experts Group's interim report was launched at Davos on January 28, 2011.
Awards, Honorary Doctorates and Prizes
- Honorary Fellow of OXONIA,The Oxford Institute For Economic Policy
- Honorary Doctorate of Law, St Louis University (1985)
- The Gold Medal of the European Parliament (1988)
- Robert Schuman Medal (1988)
- The First European Law Prize (Paris 1988)
- European Person of the Year Award (1988)
- The David Rockefeller International Leadership Award (1998),
- The Grand Cross of Civil Merit (Spain 1989)
- The Irish People of the Year Award (1989)
- The Grand Cross of King Leopold II (Belgium 1989)
- The New Zealand Commemorative Medal (1990)
- Honorary Doctorate of Law, National University of Ireland (1990)
- Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (France 1993)
- The Consumer for World Trade Annual Award (1994)
- Commandeur du Wissam (Morocco 1994)
- Honorary Doctorate of Law, Bath University (1995)
- The Order of Rio Branco (Brazil 1996)
- The Dean’s Medal, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, (1996)
- Honorary Doctorate of Law, University of Reading (1997)
- The Grand Cross of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique (Portugal 1998)
- Honorary Doctorate of Law, Nottingham University (1999)
- Honorary Doctorate of Law, Exeter University (2000)
- Foundation Day Medal, University College Dublin (2004)
- Honorary Knighthood (UK 2004)
- Honorary Doctorate of Law, Queens University, Belfast (2004)
- Honorary Doctorate of Letters, University of Sussex, 2008
- Lifetime Achievement Award, Ireland Chamber of Commerce USA (2009)
- Honorary Fellowship of London School of Business
Peter has received a total of fifteen honorary doctorates from universities in Europe and America (inclusive of the above).