Peter is the founding chair of the board of the Canadian Climate Institute. He retired in 2010 as the founding President of the Council of Canadian Academies, an organization that conducts expert panel studies of scientific issues related to public policy. Prior to that, Peter served numerous senior posts in government, business, science, and higher education. His public service career included positions as Deputy Chief of Staff, Policy in the Office of the Prime Minister and as Special Advisor to the Secretary-general of the OECD. His business career included senior executive positions with Scotiabank and telecom holding company, BCE Inc. A native of Halifax, Peter was educated in physics and mathematics (PhD, Stanford). He is a Member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Nova Scotia and is the recipient of six Honorary Degrees. He currently splits his time between Annapolis Royal, NS and Austin, Texas.