Peter is Chancellor and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Western Sydney University. He serves on a number of private sector, government and not-for-profit boards, including as a Non-executive Director of AMP Ltd., Corrs Chambers Westgarth and Chairman of Opal Aged Care. Previously, Peter served as Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, Public Service Commissioner, Secretary of the Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business, and Secretary of the Department of Education, Science and Training. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1996, awarded a Centenary Medal in 2003 and made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2007, each being for public service.