The six-team ABL, supported by the Australian Baseball Federation and Major League Baseball, will commence play in November 2010 and reflects the continuation of the game's substantial growth in Australia. Australia has enjoyed a wealth of success on the international stage. Over 300 Australian born players have gone on to play professionally in the United States, including 28 at the Major League level. In 2004, Australia stunned international juggernaut Japan in the Olympics to capture the silver medal.
A seasoned baseball executive, Peter is one of the sports' most well-regarded international ambassadors. His varied experience includes stints as player, coach and league executive. Prior to assuming his post as CEO of the ABL, Peter was responsible for Business Development at Major League Baseball International. He was instrumental in assessing proposals for professional leagues in various international markets. His understanding of the nuances of international and domestic business development, rendered him a trusted advisor to Major League Baseball's senior leadership team including Executive Vice President, Business Operations, Tim Brosnan and Senior Vice President, MLB International, Paul Archey. Peter was a driving force in the league's effort to establish a joint venture with the Australian Baseball Federation that led to the creation of the Australian Baseball League.
Peter also served as an advisor to Major League Baseball CFO Jonathan Mariner modeling revenue sharing systems ahead of the 2006 collective bargaining agreement negotiations. He also was instrumental in the league's effort to better understand franchise valuations.
Peter's commitment to and passion for the game transcend the corporate corridors. A native of Mainz, Germany, he played college baseball for Pomona College (California). Peter's nearly two decades of coaching experience have taken him around the world and included guiding the German national team to its history making, first-ever wins over both Team USA and Team Canada, as well as taking Georgia State to its first ever conference championship. A product of German baseball, Peter is deeply familiar with amateur baseball structures as well, having founded the Mainz Rebels Baseball Club (Germany), and managed it for many years.
Outside of his work with Major League Baseball, Peter posted a five-year tenure at noted management consulting firm McKinsey and Company. At McKinsey, he worked on several sport industry engagements including the development of a ticket pricing optimisation model for a major sports league and identifying best practices in licensing and sponsorship among leading European soccer clubs. Peter also penned a whitepaper on strategies in emerging and digital media for sports entities.
Peter's senior management team includes Australian Baseball Federation CEO and former Collingwood Football Club CEO John May who has served as the ABL's Acting Operating Officer. Peter will also work closely with the ABL's Chairman, Mark Peters, former CEO of the Australian Sports Commission and MLB Australia Director, Tom Nicholson along with other key baseball stakeholders.
Peter, 33, earned an MBA from Columbia University's Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics from Pomona College. He resides in Burleigh Heads, with his wife Priya Mascarenhas.