BP appoints new chair after contentious ousting of Albert Manifold in May

Ian Tyler, who has served as the interim chair and sat on the BP board as a non-executive director since April 2025, is assuming the role on a permanent basis immediately.

His appointment comes after Manifold’s shock removal in late May after only eight months in the role, with BP citing concerns about governance oversight and conduct.

Amanda Blanc, BP’s senior independent director who led the search for a new chair and also runs the insurer Aviva as chief executive, announced on Wednesday she would stand down at next year’s annual meeting.

She was criticised after Manifold’s short tenure as chair, as she had led the process that resulted in his appointment to replace Helge Lund. When Manifold exited, Blanc said that while he had helped drive BP’s transformation, there were “governance oversight and conduct issues it [the board] deems unacceptable”.

Reports claimed senior colleagues had felt belittled by Manifold, while he was also accused of trying to exert control as if he were an executive rather than a chair.

Manifold responded by accusing the oil company of firing him without warning and disputed reports about his conduct.

Tyler is a former chief executive of the construction company Balfour Beatty, he chairs the builders merchants Grafton Group and is senior independent director of the mining company Anglo American. In the past he chaired Cairn Energy and the housebuilder Vistry Group and served as a non-executive director of the defence contractor BAE Systems.

He is tasked with overseeing a shift in BP’s strategy to refocus on fossil fuel extraction and ditch renewable energy investments. Meg O’Neill, the BP chief executive, last month urged Andy Burnham to make use of the UK’s oil and gas resources even though the oil company wants to sell its North Sea business.

However, she said North Sea investments were “not competitive” within BP’s portfolio, as the company reported its highest quarterly profits since the first year of Russia’s war on Ukraine, boosted by rising oil and gas prices caused by the Middle East crisis.

Blanc said on Wednesday: “I am delighted that the board has unanimously appointed Ian Tyler as chair of BP. Ian brings significant experience providing challenge and support to executive teams, while maintaining strong governance and oversight on behalf of shareholders.”

Tyler 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. I am committed to establishing regular and transparent engagement with our shareholders.”

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