Pierre's mother Evelyn was a schoolteacher, and his father Auguste was a policeman. He studied at
Saint Mary's College, then completed a
BA (hons) in accounts and a
Master of Business Administration from the
University of the West Indies. After graduation, he taught at Saint Mary's College and worked as a trainee manager at J.Q. Charles Ltd. Pierre then entered the finance industry: he worked as an audit clerk at
Coopers & Lybrand and
Pannell Kerr Forster, and as a financial controller at Stanthur Co. Ltd. From 1985 to 1994, Pierre was the Director of the National Research and Development Corporation. He was also Chief Executive of his own
management consultancy firm, Philip J. Pierre Business Services Ltd., from 1990 to 1997. == Politics ==