BP removes chair Albert Manifold over ‘serious’ governance and conduct concerns
BP removed chair Albert Manifold after eight months, citing serious governance and conduct concerns. The shares fell as the company starts another search for a chair.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
BP ousted its chair, Albert Manifold, immediately after the board said it had concerns about governance standards, oversight and conduct. The abrupt removal adds to BP’s leadership churn and raises fresh questions about how the company is being run.
BP just fired its chairperson, Albert Manifold, after the board said it had big worries about how the company was being run and how he behaved.
Think of it like a school club losing its captain halfway through the year because the teachers and other leaders no longer trust the way the captain is handling things.
The company’s shares fell after the news, and BP now has to find another chair while it keeps changing how the business is set up.
Analysis
What happened
BP said it had removed chair Albert Manifold with immediate effect after the board said it had serious concerns about “important governance standards, oversight and conduct”. The company did not give more detail. Manifold had been in the role for only eight months.
Market reaction and board response
The announcement hit BP’s shares quickly. The stock fell as much as 9% in the minutes after the news before ending the day down 4%. Amanda Blanc, BP’s senior independent director, said the board had been “surprised and disappointed” by what it viewed as unacceptable governance and conduct issues, and said it acted decisively.
Wider leadership turmoil
Manifold had only joined BP’s board in October 2025, after a career that included running CRH. He was brought in during a strategic shift away from some renewable investment and back toward fossil fuel extraction. During his short tenure, he pushed out chief executive Murray Auchincloss and later backed Meg O’Neill as the new boss.
The article says Manifold’s style had already irritated some investors and directors. Reports cited by the Guardian suggested he was seen as too aggressive and as acting more like an executive than a chair. At his first annual meeting in charge, 18% of votes opposed his re-election after he blocked a Follow This resolution on how BP would protect shareholder value if demand for oil and gas fell.
What comes next
BP has now started looking for its third chair in two years. Ian Tyler, a BP board member and former Balfour Beatty chief executive, has become interim chair. Tyler publicly backed O’Neill and said the board was impressed by her clarity on the company’s direction.
Key points
- BP removed chair Albert Manifold immediately, citing serious governance and conduct concerns.
- BP shares dropped sharply after the announcement before closing down 4%.
- Amanda Blanc said the board was surprised and disappointed by unacceptable issues.
- The company is now searching for its third chair in two years.
- Ian Tyler, a BP board member, has been named interim chair.
