Peter Irion was born in 1969 and grew up in Mannheim in Germany. He completed a degree in business economics at the University of Mannheim, specialising in marketing and international management.

He began his career in 1995 with Blaupunkt GmbH, a member of the Bosch Group. He subsequently spent time abroad, performing various marketing and sales roles in Madrid and London.

Between 2001 and 2010 he headed the sales and export departments of two family-run companies as a Management Board member (firstly in the fashion sector and later in the packaging industry). Peter then assumed responsibility for Distribution at Gebr Heinemann, when he was appointed Executive Director in 2010.