Pieter Burke

Pieter Burke is the commander of the Belltower ship in, and the primary antagonist of, Deus Ex: Human Revolution - The Missing Link.

Background
According to an email on Tiffany Kavanagh's computer, Burke was a former US Marine who was dishonorably discharged. He is described as charismatic and a natural leader, but he also has sexist tendencies. The specifics of his service record are almost entirely classified.

After discovering the stowaway Adam Jensen aboard the Hei Zhen Zhu cargo ship, Pieter left Netanya Keitner, the offshore base commander, with interrogating Jensen. It was revealed later that she assisted him in escaping, due to her role as an Interpol double agent. After docking at the Rifleman Bank Station, Burke proceeded to relay instructions to his top scientists, and unlocked a hidden elevator, unaware of Jensen's presence.

After having his spare augmentations stolen and discovering Keitner's defection from Belltower, Burke placed the facility on alert and began filling the prison cells and labs with toxic gas in an attempt to kill all potential witnesses. After Jensen made his way through all of his forces, Pieter then made a last stand against Adam in a hangar containing a 80-X Boxguard and several Belltower guards.

Regardless of whether Jensen killed or spared Burke, his subordinates are promply forced into retreating by Garvin Quinn impersonating him. It's likely that Burke was killed even if Jensen spared him, as an email found on Garvin Quinn's hidden computer shows he has direct orders to take Burke out, suggesting that his death most likely occured anyway.

An email on Burke's computer, and his own comments in the stand-off with Jensen, reveal him to be a close aquintaince to the Tyrants. During gameplay, a few belltower contractors will make comments about his aging look, believing him to be at least sixty years old. Burke could be trying to repel advanced aging. His extensive use of augmentations and self-righteous enthusiasm in conducting the inhumane and dangerous experiments could be part of that.

Trivia

 * Whether intentional or not, there is also a character on the USA Network program White Collar named Peter Burke. The character, played by Tim DeKay, is an FBI agent tasked with solving white collar crimes (hence the name of the show).