United Kingdom

BP Ousts Chair Albert Manifold Over Conduct Concerns

Was this the right call or is leadership instability the real threat to the company?

Published MAY 27

BP Ousts Chair Albert Manifold Over Conduct Concerns

Story

Above: A BP sign in Melbourne on March 30. Image credit: Morgan Hancock/Stringer/Getty Images

The Facts

BP's board unanimously removed chair Albert Manifold with immediate effect on Tuesday, citing "serious concerns" over "important governance standards, oversight and conduct" just eight months into his tenure. The company did not provide further details on the specific conduct issues.
BNN Bloomberg
FOX News
Four sources with knowledge of the matter alleged Manifold had acted aggressively with different colleagues, with one source close to BP's board saying a whistleblower report revealed a pattern of unacceptable behavior. Manifold disputed the claims, saying he would "not allow a false narrative to go unchallenged."
ABC News
Reuters
BP board member Ian Tyler, a former chief executive of construction group Balfour Beatty and chair of building supplies firm Grafton Group, was appointed interim chair with immediate effect. BP said a search for a permanent chair has begun.
guardian
Global Banking and Finance
Manifold was appointed to BP's board in October 2025 to oversee a strategic pivot back toward oil and gas after the company retreated from renewable energy investments. He played a role in removing CEO Murray Auchincloss and appointing former Woodside Energy chief Meg O'Neill in December.
Forbes
Newsmax
In April, around 18% of shareholders voted against Manifold's reappointment, well below the near-100% support directors typically receive. Proxy advisers Glass Lewis and ISS had urged a vote against him, partly over the board's decision to block a climate resolution filed by activist group Follow This.
Sky News
Investment News
Manifold's removal marks the second time in under three years that a senior BP leader has been ousted over conduct issues. Former CEO Bernard Looney was fired in 2023 after admitting he misled the board about personal relationships with colleagues and was later denied £32 million in pay and shares.
The New York Times
New York Post

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

BP's board made the right call booting Albert Manifold after just eight months — governance failures at the top of a major oil company can't be tolerated. The board acted decisively, and that's exactly what shareholders deserve. This is now the second senior BP leader ousted for conduct reasons in three years, which signals a deeper cultural rot that demands accountability.

CNBC

Mario Nawfal on X

Axios

Narrative B

Manifold was actually turning BP around — cutting costs, refocusing on oil and gas and installing a strong new CEO — before the board blindsided everyone with a vague conduct claim. The repeated leadership churn, now on its third chair and fifth CEO since 2020, is the real problem tanking investor confidence. BP's boardroom instability is putting the company at risk of becoming a takeover target.

FOX News