Peter Sutherland

Peter Sutherland has served as chairman of BP plc since 1997 and chairman of Goldman Sachs International since 1995. He also serves as special representative of the United Nations secretary-general for migrations. Before these appointments, he was the founding director-general of the World Trade Organisation. He had previously served as director general of GATT since July 1993 and was instrumental in concluding the Uruguay GATT Round Negotiations.

Prior to this position, he was chairman of Allied Irish Banks from 1989 to 1993 and chairman of the Board of Governors of the European Institute of Public Administration, Maastricht, (1991-96). Educated at Gonzaga College, University College Dublin and at the Honorable Society of the King's Inns, Mr. Sutherland was a tutor in law at University College Dublin (1969-71). From 1981 until early 1982 he was attorney general of Ireland and a member of the Council of State.

He was reappointed in 1982 and served in that position until 1984 when he was nominated by the Government of Ireland as a member of the Commission of the European Communities in charge of competition policy. During his first year at the Commission he was also responsible for social affairs, health and education and thereafter for relations with the European Parliament.

Peter Sutherland is a member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum, goodwill ambassador to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, and consultor for the administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See. He has published numerous articles and the book "Premier Janvier 1993, ce qui va changer en Europe" (Paris).

He was presented with the Robert Schuman Medal for his work on European Integration and the David Rockefeller Award of the Trilateral Commission. Mr. Sutherland was a Trilateral Commission author of 21st Century Strategies of the Trilateral Countries: In Concert or Conflict? (1999, with Robert B. Zoellick and Hisashi Owada) and was re-elected in 2003 for a second term as European Chairman of the Trilateral Commission.