A tribute to Peter Gudge
Echelon Associate, and former Commercial Director, Peter Gudge passed away suddenly on 19 June 2025. We pay tribute to our dear friend and beloved colleague.
The Echelon team first met Peter, who was working for EC Harris at the time, in 2010/2011.
The two companies were working in partnership supporting Croydon Council with a large procurement project, and it was very clear from the first interactions with Peter that he was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate.
Our team really enjoyed working with him, and as the business grew, we were delighted to officially invite Peter on board as Echelon’s first Commercial Director in 2012.
He joined at a pivotal time for the company and led on the creation of the innovative commercial models Echelon is now so well-known for, including Price Per Property and Annual Order Value models. He also led on numerous high-profile procurement projects.
After several years as a Director, Peter changed roles and became an Associate, working across the growing Echelon Group. He supported numerous complex procurement projects and continued to support the development of commercial models that were always focused on delivering the best outcomes for both clients and suppliers.
As well as immense commercial and technical knowledge, Peter was Echelon’s resident “wise owl” and our team’s go-to for dealing with complex and often potentially tense contractual issues. His natural gravitas, calmness and unfaltering focus on doing the right thing, in the right way, meant that these disputes were always resolved quickly and fairly. He was a natural problem solver with encyclopaedic knowledge balanced perfectly with practical application.
Peter was a natural mentor to many members of the team and was always sharing his knowledge and always there to support us all.
Above all, and as illustrated by the many tributes we have received, Peter was the epitome of a true gentleman, respected and loved by everyone he worked with.
He made all of us at Echelon better and we all miss him desperately.
The Echelon board share their personal tributes to Peter below:
Mathew Baxter, Echelon Group CEO:
“Peter and I first met when I was leading the Echelon team on a very complex procurement at Croydon Council and Peter was leading the EC Harris team.
“From the first moment I met him it was clear that he had a unique gift of incredible knowledge and intelligence balanced with incredible kindness and the gift of being able to communicate complicated information.
“I was over the moon when Peter chose to join us, and I learned so much from him as we grew the business.
“I sought his counsel often and loved his dry wit, integrity, and natural pragmatism. Never afraid to challenge but always 100% supportive.
“I will miss Peter hugely.”
Sharon Hunt, Director of Partnerships and Procurement, Echelon Consultancy:
“It’s hard to put into words what it means to lose someone like Peter. In the 15 plus years I knew him, he never changed—and I mean that in the best possible way. He was consistently Peter: dry-witted, quietly wise, deeply kind, and always slightly grumpy… or so he wanted us to believe.
“The truth is, Peter wasn’t really grumpy at all. That was just his well-worn disguise that he wore to keep us on our toes. Underneath it was someone with a heart as vast as his knowledge and experience. There wasn’t a problem Peter couldn’t talk through, a conflict he couldn’t calm, or a policy document he couldn’t make sense of (even if he thought it was nonsense, which he usually did—and he was usually right).
“No matter the issue—big or small—Peter had a way of stepping in with just the right words, a calm presence, and a deep sense of fairness. He never raised his voice; he didn’t need to. When Peter spoke, you listened—not just because you should, but because what he said always mattered.
“He never sought the spotlight, but his absence will be impossible to miss. He brought a steady, grounding energy to every encounter and every conversation and could cut through the noise with a quiet comment that somehow said everything that needed to be said.
“Peter’s love for his family was obvious—always present, even if he didn’t always say it out loud. He shone when he spoke about them, and it was clear that his world was shaped just as much by love as it was by logic and reason.
“I’ll miss him. More than I can say. I’ll miss the Teams calls at the most inconvenient times, the head in hands hair rubbing, the shared sighs of frustration over bureaucracy, and the unexpected nuggets of wisdom mid-conversation.
“Our sector has lost one of its greats—not just for his experience or intellect, but for the way he treated people. with decency, with respect and with a quiet strength that left a mark on us all.
“Rest easy, Peter. You were one of a kind—a faux grumpy, not-at-all-grumpy, kind-hearted, incredibly intelligent, quietly brilliant gentleman. We were lucky to know you.”
Jessica John, Director of Pretium:
| “It’s incredibly difficult to put in words what an amazing person you were Peter. When I rejoined Echelon back in 2022 you were my main point of contact. I was your right-hand Project Manager, and you taught me so much. After a few weeks of you getting to know my way of working, and me yours, I think we became a great team. I truly loved working with you.
“When I had my promotion, you were honest and supportive, I felt you gave me the knowledge I needed to step up. I loved the odd occasion we got to work together since, and you were always my sounding board on the trickier challenges. I am going to miss having that irreplaceable go-to person. I hope I never took you for granted, but there is so much truth in you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, because you have left a huge void behind.
“I promise to always remember you, Aaron and I will not stop talking about you and I believe somewhere in my heart you will know that, which means, we will also have to laugh about you too. “The last time I saw you in person was as my teammate in the various team meeting sports day challenges, and I won’t forget you wanging a welly at Jenny. “Our last conversation was when I was the only available Board Member that could approve your IT request, we laughed about how silly it was that I had so much power these days. All the love Peter, Goodnight and God bless xx” Aaron John, Managing Director, Echelon Consultancy: “Peter was a true gentleman, knowledgeable, principled, and always straightforward. It was a privilege to work alongside someone who brought integrity and clarity to everything he did. He will be greatly missed by me both professionally and personally.”
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