Flying Tiger snapped up by Modella Capital amid fears for its future
Modella Capital's acquisition of Flying Tiger raises fears for its future.
The Guardian World1 min read
Fired BP chair disputes oil company’s claims of poor conduct
TL;DR
Albert Manifold, the fired chair of BP, claims he was dismissed without warning and disputes allegations of poor conduct. BP cited serious concerns regarding his governance and oversight standards.
Key points
- Albert Manifold was ousted as BP chair without warning.
- He disputes claims regarding his conduct and governance standards.
- BP cited serious concerns about his oversight and behavior.
Mentioned in this story
BPAlbert Manifold
The ousted chair of BP, Albert Manifold, has accused the oil company of firing him without warning and disputed reports about his conduct, amid the latest boardroom turmoil to rock the company.
In an emailed statement, Manifold said he was “removed without warning and without explanation” by the FTSE 100 company.
The former chair added: “I dispute entirely the characterisation of my conduct and I will not allow a false narrative to go unchallenged.”
BP announced Manifold’s departure with immediate effect on Tuesday after less than a year in the role, expressing serious concerns about his governance standards, oversight and conduct.
Manifold’s behaviour with different colleagues across the company was described as aggressive, according to reports. Reuters reported that the board received enough information after a whistleblower report to determine a pattern of unacceptable behaviour, according to a source.
The Financial Times reported that senior colleagues felt belittled by Manifold, while he was also seen as trying to exert control as if he were an executive rather than a chair.
Manifold was appointed as BP’s chair in October 2025, after serving as chief executive of the Irish building materials company CRH.
He was tasked with overseeing the continued change in the oil company’s strategy, to refocus on fossil fuel extraction and ditch renewable energy investments after the company’s abandoned attempt to reinvent itself as a net zero energy company under the former chair Helge Lund. Lund was pushed out by investor pressure, including from the US hedge fund Elliott Advisors.
Manifold wasted little time on arrival at BP in ousting the chief executive, Murray Auchincloss, after less than two years in the role, and hired a former ExxonMobil executive, Meg O’Neill in December.
O’Neill, who most recently served as the head of the Australian oil company Woodside Energy, joined BP at the start of April. O’Neill is BP’s fifth chief executive since 2020 and is expected to accelerate the company’s shift away from renewables.
Q&A
Why was Albert Manifold fired from BP?
Albert Manifold was fired due to serious concerns about his governance standards, oversight, and conduct, as reported by BP.
What allegations did Albert Manifold dispute after his dismissal?
Albert Manifold disputed the characterization of his conduct as aggressive and claimed he was removed without warning or explanation.
What triggered the board's decision to remove Manifold?
The board's decision to remove Manifold was influenced by a whistleblower report that indicated a pattern of unacceptable behavior.
