Career
Petersen was educated as Cand.polit. from the University of Copenhagen in 1978.[1] After completing his education, he was appointed Secretary of the National Audit Office for two years. In 1979 he was employed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in the same year was appointed as a clerk. From 1981 to Petersen was posted at the Danish embassy in Cairo, Egypt.[1]
In 1986 he became Head of the Foreign Minister's office Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, and continued in 1993 under Niels Helveg Petersen.[1] In 1994 he became Head of Office with responsibility for Russia and Eastern Europe, before being appointed Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1997.[1]
Petersen was sent to Washington, D.C. in 2005 when he was to succeed Ulrik Federspiel as Denmark's ambassador to the United States.[1] An office he held until 2010, when he was appointed as ambassador to China. Here he was also an ambassador for five years before, with effect from 15 August 2015, became Denmark's ambassador to Germany, and accredited ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein.[1]
