LONDON — BP removed Albert Manifold as chair after eight months in the role and reappointed Amanda Blanc to lead the search for his successor. Ian Tyler, BP interim chair, said: “At the request of the board, Amanda Blanc will lead the search process for BP’s next chair. As in previous searches, this will be a rigorous process involving the entire board and the final decision will reflect our collective view.”
Manifold was appointed BP chair in July 2023 and began his role in October 2023. He was tasked with driving a strategic shift to refocus the company on fossil fuel extraction and reduce renewable energy investments. During his tenure, he quickly ousted chief executive Murray Auchincloss, who had held the role for less than two years, and supported the hiring of Meg O’Neill, a former ExxonMobil executive, as the new chief executive in December 2023. O’Neill assumed the role in April 2024.
Amanda Blanc, BP’s senior independent director and chief executive of insurer Aviva, previously led the 2023 search that resulted in Manifold’s appointment. She said that Manifold had helped drive BP’s transformation, but there were “governance oversight and conduct issues it [the board] deems unacceptable.” At Manifold’s first annual meeting as chair, nearly a fifth of shareholders—18%—opposed his re-election. He also blocked a resolution from shareholder group Follow This that sought reporting on how BP would protect shareholder value if oil and gas demand declined.
Manifold disputed the board’s characterization of his conduct. “I dispute entirely the characterisation of my conduct and I will not allow a false narrative to go unchallenged,” he said. He added that BP fired him “without warning and without explanation.”