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BP has appointed a new chair and is now seeking a senior independent director and company secretary as it tries to restore stability after the abrupt ousting of Albert Manifold in May.
The UK oil major said Ian Tyler, former chief executive of builders Balfour Beatty, would be its new permanent chair after he stepped in to take the role on an interim basis following Manifold’s exit.
The appointment brings to a close a turbulent few months for BP after the board, including new chief executive Meg O’Neill, fired Manifold for “unacceptable conduct”.
Manifold, the former chief executive of building materials group CRH, has described the allegations about his behaviour as “lies” from people hiding “behind anonymity”.
Ben Mathews, who clashed with Manifold, has also now stood down as company secretary, BP said. Mathews has been appointed as a special adviser while the company looks for his permanent replacement.
Amanda Blanc, chief executive of insurer Aviva who oversaw the appointment of Manifold as senior independent director, will also depart BP’s board.
Blanc came under fire after championing Manifold on his appointment last year, describing him as a hard-driving executive whose “relentless focus on performance” would be “well suited to BP’s needs”.
Tyler, who headed Balfour Beatty between 2005 and 2013, said: “I will lead the board’s evolution, ensuring we have the depth, experience and capabilities needed to support the company’s strategic priorities and long-term value creation.”
Tyler said he had asked Blanc to stay, but added that she felt it was the right time to leave now that a new chief executive and chair were in place. During Blanc’s three-year tenure as senior independent director, BP has cycled through three chairs and two chief executives.
Tyler is currently chair of Grafton, a building materials group, and the senior independent director of mining company Anglo American, where he had to respond to an activist campaign from hedge fund Elliott Management, which currently has a significant stake in BP. He is a former chair of Cairn Energy and was a non-executive director of BAE Systems.
