Peter Shier

Peter is a 30-year veteran of the ad industry, aka the toy department of the business world. He owns Naked Creative, a successful creative consultancy with a memorable name. (The first job of advertising? Get noticed.)

Naked has been the Globe & Mail’s brand agency for over 20 years – a testament to good work and loyalty. His other clients have included Ancestry.ca, Coors, Kellogg’s, Bell, The Princess Margaret, UHN, and Michael Garron Hospital. Peter was also instrumental in creating the award winning ‘comfortable banking’ ad campaign for TD Bank, its iconic green chair still being featured after 20+ years.

Prior to advertising Peter was astonished to learn that he could make a living playing hockey, so he spent 6 years as a professional in North America and Europe. He was invited to try out for the 1984 Olympic Team and was honoured to be cut by the legendary GM Sam Pollack and the words, “I don’t think so Son.”

Peter’s passion for hockey and his very serviceable grades miraculously got him into Cornell University’s world-renowned Hotel School, where its lasting lesson is his ability to clear a 6 person dinner table in one fell swoop.

On the ice, Peter set and still holds several Cornell scoring records and in his senior year he led the NCAA in scoring by defensemen and was named All-American, All-East and All-Ivy. He was elected to the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990.
Fun Facts: Peter’s slap shot broke the glass at both the Boston Garden and Madison Square Garden and he’s likely the only All-American to have lived in a trailer park.

His eclectic background and life experience include a stint as a sous chef for Jamie Kennedy, a board member of The Canadian Concussion Centre, teaching advertising for 7 years at OCADU where he was nominated for an Excellence in Teaching Award, receiving a police citation for bravery, while in his bare feet chasing down a purse snatcher, judging and guest speaking at Brock University for 10 years and he and his son saved the life of a US Army Veteran involved in a car crash on the NY State Thruway.

In 2011, unbeknownst to him, it was two for one week at Princess Margaret, where he was diagnosed with both Melanoma and Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the same time. He is currently writing a book and continues to play hockey five times a week, where his backhand toe drag has never been better.