Michael Wurzer Shortly after learning of the passing of Peter Shuttleworth, my sadness was overcome by feelings of immense gratitude for having known and worked closely with Peter over many years, both when he was CEO of Metro MLS in Milwaukee and also as an FBS Board member for many years after he retired. Peter taught me so much about the MLS industry we love so much, but, most importantly, he taught me and FBS the meaning of being partners in business and especially in this MLS business, which, like Peter, has its own character.
A lot of people throw the term partnership around easily but Peter was very intentional and selective when he used that term, which is one of the many reasons CMLS honored him by naming their annual MLS Executive of the Year Award after him (PDF). In creating the award, CMLS wrote: “Peter’s motto of, ‘You should always have a seat at the table to listen, participate and help shape ideas’ is an ideal that all MLS Executives should desire. When Peter retired he left a legacy of integrity, professionalism and resoluteness to serve as the standard for any MLS Executive to aspire to be.” Well said, CMLS!
As much as Peter sought to improve the MLS industry, he also loved it. He loved it so much that he spent decades evangelizing it in Europe and beyond with the international efforts through the NAR. He served on countless committees, not just to have his voice be heard but to bring leadership and the concerns and goals of his members to the broader industry. Like all great leaders, he deeply understood the needs of his members and was tireless in serving and advocating for them.
I first met Peter following one of the very first RETS meetings, in 1999 or thereabout. Our company, FBS, had been printing an MLS book (yes, an MLS book!) for Metro MLS and we had just released our new software, Flexmls. 
At that meeting, I recall advocating for our MLS customers, which, at the time, were all small MLSs. Peter heard about my advocacy from his CTO, Tom Curtis, and reached out to let me know he respected my views and advocacy. A year or so later, Peter and Tom invited me to present Flexmls for consideration by Metro MLS as their next MLS system. Even though Metro MLS was 5x bigger than our largest customer at the time, Peter and the Metro MLS leadership took a bet on FBS and Flexmls, and forever changed our trajectory as a company in the MLS industry, leading us from one of the smallest vendors to be one of the largest today.
Peter’s leadership and partnership continued after he retired from Metro MLS when he agreed to join FBS’s Board, which he served on for nearly 10 years. As a Board member, Peter relayed invaluable insights to our young team about early MLS technology and helped us deeply understand the cooperative nature of this business. Not only did he share his knowledge, he showed us what being a partner means. Below are several photos from the last in-person FBS Board meeting Peter attended. We were engaging in some fun competitive cooking contest, and, as always, Peter was giving his all with energy and joy. You will be missed and remembered well, my friend.
To Peter’s wife, Sherry, and his children and family, your loss is immense and all our hearts here at FBS are with you in missing and loving Peter. He and his suspenders will be lifting us all up in celebration of his life.
