Peter McMahon (born 6th of June 1954) is a British-American business executive better known as the spouse of Dana Perino, a Fox News anchor and one-time White House press secretary.
In his own right, Peter McMahon is a well-accomplished business executive who has had a decades-long successful career in the retail and consulting sector. Beyond this, the Englishman is best known as Dana Perino’s husband.
McMahon and Perino tied the knot at a time that she was still climbing the ropes of her career and since then, he has helped her to add several feathers to her cap. Rather than allowing their respective demanding careers to take a toll on their union, the duo remains happily married and have no qualms collaborating with each other for the greater good.
Peter McMahon is Originally From Blackpool, England, and Has Worked at Retail Chains Such as Sainsbury and Tesco
Peter McMahon celebrates his birthday on the 6th of June every year and was born in the year 1954 which means that he is 69 years old. The business executive has dual British and American nationalities and was born in Blackpool, a seaside resort that is renowned as the quintessential British holiday spot, thanks to its pleasure beach, amusement arcades, and donkey rides.
The young Peter McMahon spent his early years in his motherland and obtained a university degree in business administration and management from the University of Liverpool in 1976. He thereafter joined the workforce and landed his first job with the popular U.K. supermarket chain, Sainsbury.
Peter McMahon spent about two decades with Sainsbury during which he learned the nitty-gritty of the retail business. He was stationed in other parts of the U.K. such as Scotland and Ireland and ultimately gained promotion as the director of distribution and supply chain. He occupied that particular role from 1992 to 2000 before leaving to join another U.K. retail giant, Tesco, in 2002. McMahon’s time at Tesco was relatively short, two years, but he still did enough to ensure that he would land a good position at another popular retail chain, this time Walmart.
He Served as the CEO and President of Shopko From 2013 to 2018
American retail chain, Walmart, came calling for Peter McMahon in 2004. They appointed him their supply chain director in the European country of Germany and he faithfully served in this capacity for two years.
By 2006, Loblaw Companies Ltd, a Canadian-based conglomerate that deals in foods, pharmaceuticals, and banking, presented McMahon with an offer that he couldn’t resist i.e. to serve as their chief operating officer (COO). He accepted and moved out to take up the role. McMahon spent six years as the COO of Loblaw during which he took the company to great heights.
All of his hard work finally paid off as he was appointed as the president and CEO of the American retail chain, Shopko in 2013. The Blackpool native spent five years as the CEO of Shopko before leaving to set up his own management consultancy firm which he mans to date. Given his track record, McMahon is every inch as successful as his wife, Dana Perino, but the major difference is that she is on a career path that has more visibility.
Originally from Wyoming, Perino holds a college degree in mass communication and a Master’s degree in public affairs reporting. She commenced her career by working the graveyard shift at KCCY-FM, a local radio station in Colorado. She then went on to work as a reporter for a TV station before moving to Washington D.C. in the 1990s.
Perino’s first stint in the Nation’s capital saw her work as an assistant and press secretary for republican congressmen such as Scott McInnis and Dan Schaefer. Her marriage to McMahon made her relocate to Great Britain for two years but she returned to D.C. in 2001. This second coming saw her hold various positions, including spokesperson of the Department of Justice, associate director of communications for White House Council on Environmental Quality, deputy press secretary of the George W. Bush administration, and White House press secretary from 2007 to 2009. Since then, Dana Perino has become a regular fixture on Fox News where she anchors shows such as The Five and America’s Newsroom.
Peter McMahon and Dana Perino Met on a Flight in 1997 and Eloped a Year Later
Peter McMahon and his wife, Dana Perino, have been married for more than two decades now and their love story began on a flight from Denver to Chicago on the 17th of August 1997. The two were amongst the last to get on the plane and McMahon immediately noticed Perino’s good looks and swinging ponytail. He hoped that they would end up seating together and this was exactly what happened.
As McMahon was busy noticing how cute Perino was, she was also noticing the same thing about him. She was also impressed by his British accent, as well as the fact that he had no ring on and so they struck up a conversation over a book that he was reading, the 2001 thriller – The Tailor of Panama.
The conversation lasted throughout the two and half-hours flight and the pair learned various titbits about each other. Perino was a bit wary of the fact that McMahon was twice divorced and lived in the U.K. She was also balked at the fact that he was 18 years older than her but still gave him her contact information when he asked.
After making it home, Peter McMahon fired off an email to Perino, expressing his attraction and feelings for her. She responded 10 days later and they spent the next few weeks racking up international phone bills. They later arranged to meet up for a weekend in New Orleans and thus began a steady relationship.
McMahon and Perino dated for a full year before he proposed to her in front of the Washington Cathedral in August 1998. She said yes and they eloped to the U.K. where they got married without letting their family members know.
Their Union Has Lasted For Twenty Years and Counting
Peter McMahon and Dana Perino have been together for more than 20 years now and their marriage keeps on thriving. Perino has revealed that the reason for this is that she wholeheartedly supports McMahon and he, in turn, lets her spread her wings. For instance, when they first got married, she relocated to the U.K. to be with him. By the time she made a second comeback to Washington D.C. in 2001, he also agreed to return back with her. The couple now makes their permanent home in New York City and New Jersey and remains supportive of each other. For instance, McMahon has appeared on some of his wife’s TV shows to give his unique take on the happenings in British politics such as Brexit and the unexpected victory of the Tories in the 2019 election.
He also lent his voice to narrate portions of the audiobook that Perino wrote about their beloved dog, Jasper, titled Let Me Tell You About Jasper…. How My Best Friend Became America’s Dog. Speaking of beloved dogs, Peter McMahon and Dana Perino have no kids together but they have lavished their love on some pets over the years. During their time in England, the couple had a beloved dog named Henry. He later died of natural causes and they picked up another one named Jasper. The couple built up lots of memorable years with Jasper but he sadly died of cancer in September 2021 and Perino shared that they were grieving.
Peter McMahon Has Two Children From His Previous Marriages
Peter McMahon and Dana Perino do not have a child together but the British businessman does have two kids from his previous marriage. McMahon was twice married and divorced prior to meeting Perino. There is a scarcity of details on those previous marriages but it is known that one of them produced his two children – a son, Barry, and a daughter named Kelly. Kelly is married to a Scottish man and the union has produced two kids namely Rachael and Sebastian. McMahon and his wife maintain close relations with his kids and the grandkids often visit them during the holidays. Perino has shared multiple posts on social media of them hanging out with the grandkids and they even stopped by her show one time, revealing that they call her Grandma America.
FAQs about Peter McMahon
- Who is Peter McMahon? Peter McMahon is the husband of Dana Perino, a political commentator at Fox News. He is also a prominent American entrepreneur, known for his leadership roles in multinational businesses and as the CEO of the retail store firm, Shopko.
- What is Peter McMahon’s background? McMahon was born on June 6, 1954, in Blackpool, England, and has a degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Liverpool. He holds dual nationality of the UK and the USA, and currently resides in Manhattan, New York.
- What are some of Peter McMahon’s professional achievements? Peter McMahon’s career spans over three decades in the retail industry. He has served as the supply chain director for Sainsbury and Tesco and held a supervisory role at Walmart in Germany. From 2006 to 2013, McMahon was the CEO of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada’s largest food retailer.
- Who is Peter McMahon’s wife? Peter McMahon is married to Dana Perino, an American political analyst for Fox News. The couple met on a flight in 1997, and married in England the following year. They currently live in Manhattan, New York.
- Does Peter McMahon have children? Peter McMahon has two children from previous marriages. However, details about his first two marriages and his children are not publicly disclosed.
- What is Peter McMahon’s net worth? Peter McMahon’s estimated net worth is about 10 million dollars. His wealth comes primarily from his successful career as a businessman and entrepreneur in the retail industry.
- What’s the story of Peter McMahon’s dog, Jasper? Peter McMahon and Dana Perino owned a dog named Jasper, who passed away in September 2021. Perino affectionately referred to Jasper as “America’s Dog”.
