Bio

Peter is a distinguished technology visionary and entrepreneur with decades of experience at the forefront of emerging technologies, management change and leadership. He established himself as one of the UK's most influential technology leaders and futurists as the head of research and CTO at BT Laboratories. With a formal education embracing a BSc Hons EE (Trent), MSc, PhD, and DSc (Essex), along with six honorary doctorates, he is also a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, IEEE, IET, and multiple professional institutions globally. His exceptional contributions to international communications were recognised in 1999 with an OBE.

With early (1962) recruitment into the British Post Office, Peter’s industry career evolved over 38 years at BT where he served as Chief Technology Officer (1999-2000) and Head of Research (1994-1999), leading over 1,000 research staff. During his tenure, he pioneered breakthrough technologies in AI, Artificial Life, Cyber Security, fiber optics and networks. Under Peter's leadership, BT Labs received the prestigious Queen's Award for Technical Innovation and Export in 1990 for work on the TAT-8 Trans-Atlantic fiber optic system, a groundbreaking achievement in global telecommunications infrastructure.

Following his retirement from BT in 2000, Peter co-founded ConceptLabs in California. In 2006, he established Cochrane Associates, a virtual global consultancy that leveraged emerging digital collaboration technologies. In a parallel entrepreneurial phase, he participated in the founding of eBookers, funded the initial start-up round of Shazam Entertainment, and launched numerous ventures in the UK and USA. From 2016, he also began migrating into academia while continuing his freelance operations as a consultant.

Peter has held visiting positions at over 30 institutions worldwide, including MIT, Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard Business School, and is currently a Visiting Professor to Suffolk, Hertfordshire and Stafford universities. He is also a visiting lecturer to BINIS University in Jakarta on their PhD programme. He has supervised numerous PhD students and recently conducted research in sentient systems, AI, and cybersecurity. He has served as an advisor to major organisations including CSC, Motorola, Mahindra, RR, BMW, the MoD, and Facebook, among others.

His current focus encompasses change management, working practices, AI wearables, cyber attack precursors, truth engine development, and AI-team symbiosis. As a prolific communicator, Peter has published over 1,000 scientific papers and made over 400 radio and TV appearances. He has also contributed to major publications including The Times, Telegraph, Guardian, Wired Magazine along with USA, Australian and Japanese media.

Peter’s unique combination of deep technical expertise, entrepreneurial success, practical experience, and academic insights, coupled with his extensive exposure spanning multinational companies, institutions, governments, SMEs and start-ups, uniquely positions him as one of the most respected voices in technology futures and the commercial and social implications of the digital transformation continuum.

Short

Peter is a distinguished technology visionary with decades of experience at the forefront of emerging technologies and leadership. As former CTO and Head of Research at BT Labs, he led over 1,000 research staff and pioneered breakthrough technologies in AI, fiber optics, and cybersecurity, with BT Labs receiving the Queen's Award for Technical Innovation under his leadership. His credentials include a BSc Hons (1st), MSc, PhD, and DSc from Essex, six honorary doctorates, Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and an OBE for contributions to international communications.

Following his retirement from BT in 2000, Peter became a serial entrepreneur, and establishing Cochrane Associates Ltd, while participating in ventures including eBookers and Shazam Entertainment. He has held visiting positions at over 30 institutions worldwide including MIT, Cambridge, and Oxford, currently serving as Visiting Professor at the Universities of Suffolk and Hertfordshire. As a prolific communicator with over 1,000 published papers and 400+ media appearances, Peter's unique combination of technical expertise, entrepreneurial success, and academic insights positions him as one of the most respected voices in technology futures and digital transformation.