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That realisation came into sharper focus in 1974. “I watched the general election on TV and thought, I’d like to do that,” he said. “We even ran a mock election at school. I stood as the Liberal candidate and came second — not bad, given the Tories always won here!” From Dame Allan’s, Peter went on to Keble College, Oxford, to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE). He was President of the Oxford University Students’ Union, and went on to join Citicorp’s merchant-banking division in London. Yet it was his next move that truly shaped his path: an invitation to serve as Private Secretary to former Prime Minister Edward Heath — a role he describes as “remarkably wide-ranging for someone in their twenties”, involving everything from overseas visits to dealing with senior political figures. “It was an incredible apprenticeship in diplomacy,” he recalled. “I learned that in politics — and in business — trust is everything.” Heath, who had restored full diplomatic relations with China in 1972, was regarded in Beijing as a lao pengyou — an “old friend” — which meant Peter found himself with rare access to a country on the brink of dramatic change. Travelling with Heath, he saw first-hand the beginnings of China’s transformation and began to sense that the great opportunities of his generation might lie there. By the mid-1980s, as Thatcherism dominated British politics and China began opening its doors to foreign trade, Peter made a decision that would define his career. “I thought, I’ll go now, before politics ties me down,” he said. “I’ll learn about a country that’s going to matter.” He moved to Beijing in 1986, joining Arthur Andersen, one of the world’s leading professional-services firms, to help establish its China practice. “It was the start of something big,” he said. “Nobody in the West really knew how to do business there — in the kingdom of the blind, the one- eyed man was king.” He went on to co-found a government-relations consultancy before launching Vermilion Partners Ltd in 2004 — a specialist mergers-and-acquisitions advisory firm that became one of the most respected British-run businesses in China, navigating the delicate intersection of commerce and politics.
Over more than 30 years in China, Peter oversaw some of the country’s most complex cross-border transactions. One of his proudest moments was leading the acquisition of the distillery Shui Jing Fang, one of only a handful of Chinese-listed companies ever to be taken over by a foreign investor. “It was highly politicised — the sort of deal normally done by Goldman Sachs or Morgan Stanley,” he said. “But we were seen as more subtle, more capable of handling the politics.” Behind every success, he said, lay the same foundation: trust. “In China, if something isn’t explicitly permitted, it’s forbidden,” he explained. “Everything runs through government and relationships. Once you’ve earned their trust, doors open — but it takes time.” Now semi-retired, Peter continues to advise the Government of Oman on its relations with China and chairs the Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation. He is also a trustee of Engage with China, a charity helping young people understand the significance of the world’s second- largest economy. Looking back, he credits Dame Allan’s with giving him the foundation for everything that followed. “It gave me a jolly good education, firm discipline and the freedom to think for myself — all underpinned by a sense of decency,” he said. “That’s stood me in good stead everywhere I’ve gone.” Addressing the Business students, he urged them to take the same open-minded approach to their own futures. “You don’t need to have your life mapped out,” he told them. “I started out wanting to be a doctor, then a diplomat, then a lawyer and ended up doing business in China for 30 years. My overriding ambition, however, was to become a Member of Parliament and to serve in government. Business was meant to be a prelude to politics. I never achieved that. Life takes you on unexpected paths — and that’s the adventure.” For today’s pupils, it was a powerful message — that the values instilled at school, from resilience and curiosity to integrity and trust, can carry them anywhere in the world.
“I used to get irritated when people asked, ‘What are you going to do with your life?’” he reflected. “Now I tell young people: work hard, stay curious and don’t be afraid to change direction. That’s where the opportunities lie.”
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