| Burt Peterson | |
|---|---|
| |
| Portrayed by | Michael Gaston |
| First appearance | Out of Town |
| Final appearance | Man With a Plan |
| Details | |
| Gender | Male |
| Employer | Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency |
| Occupation | Accounts Director (former) |
| Relations | |
| Wife | Unnamed wife |
| Child(ren) | Unnamed child |
Biography[]
Burt Peterson is an account executive at Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency until 1963 ("Out of Town").
Lane Pryce, the financial officer installed by Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency's British parent, in a meeting along with Bertram Cooper, Don Draper, and Roger Sterling, called in Burt Peterson, the head of accounts, and promptly fired him. While Burt thought he had survived the elimination of all redundant positions, Lane and Cooper explain that Burt's termination was delayed because his wife was undergoing radiation therapy at the time of the merger.
"You're the dying empire", Burt rails at Lane. "We're the future." Before his departure, he makes a scene, knocking over numerous items from the secretary's desks and yelling at the entire office. Representatives from other companies are later heard asking Pete Campbell if the rumors of Burt's rambunctious departure are true. While declining to offer details, Pete calls his exit "undignified". Though his former office is quickly taken over by Joan Holloway and Jon Hooker, Burt's presence is later found to be sorely missed when, due to the lack of his services and Rolodex, meetings with clients go unnoticed, which raises the ire of Don Draper and Lane Pryce.
Burt is mentioned again when the firm is courting Derby Foods, for whom Peterson is the accounts man. Sterling pawns a golf meeting off on Don and Pete, since Sterling's firing Burt created some bad blood.
He returns to the agency after it merges with Cutler, Gleason, and Chaough, where Burt was an accounts man. Roger promptly calls him into his office and fires him again, telling him that he was surplus to requirements and that none of his CGC colleagues had fought for him to stay over Pete Campbell or Ken Cosgrove, ironically the two people who jointly succeeded him at Sterling Cooper.
After his firing, Herman Phillips helped him get a vice-president position at McCann Erickson.