Fired BP chair disputes oil company's claims of poor conduct

Albert Manifold accused BP of removing him without warning and without explanation, while disputing characterizations of his conduct. BP announced his departure with immediate effect after less than a year as chair, citing serious concerns about governance standards, oversight, and conduct. Reports said his behaviour toward colleagues was aggressive, and that the board had enough information after a whistleblower report to identify a pattern of unacceptable behaviour. Other reports said senior colleagues felt belittled and that he tried to exert control as if he were an executive rather than a chair. Manifold was appointed in October 2025 after serving as chief executive of CRH, and he was tasked with overseeing BP’s strategic shift away from renewable investments.

"Manifold said he was removed without warning and without explanation by the FTSE 100 company. The former chair added: I dispute entirely the characterisation of my conduct and I will not allow a false narrative to go unchallenged. BP announced Manifold's departure with immediate effect on Tuesday after less than a year in the role, expressing serious concerns about his governance standards, oversight and conduct."

"Reuters reported that the board received enough information after a whistleblower report to determine a pattern of unacceptable behaviour, according to a source. The Financial Times reported that senior colleagues felt belittled by Manifold, while he was also seen as trying to exert control as if he were an executive rather than a chair."

"Manifold was appointed as BP's chair in October 2025, after serving as chief executive of the Irish building materials company CRH. He was tasked with overseeing the continued change in the oil company's strategy, to refocus on fossil fuel extraction and ditch renewable energy investments after the company's abandoned attempt to reinvent itself as a net zero energy company under the former chair Helge Lund."

"Manifold wasted little time on arrival at BP in ousting the chief executive, Murray Auchincloss, after less than two years in the role, and hired a former ExxonMobil executive, Meg O'Neill in December. O'Neill, who most recently served as the head of the Australian oil company Woodside Energy, joined BP at the start of April. O'Neill is BP's fifth chief executive since 2020 and is expected to acceler"

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