BP’s ousted chairman Albert Manifold disputes conduct accusations
A customer fills up a vehicle at a BP Plc service station on Monday, August 4, 2025 in London, England.
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Former blood pressure Chairman Albert Manifold has pushed back against accusations about his behavior following his shocking exit from the British energy major.
Manifold said in an emailed statement to CNBC that he was removed from his position “without warning or explanation” and that he completely disagreed with the “characterization” of his behavior.
His comments came after BP’s board of directors heard on Tuesday announced Removal of Manifold due to “serious concerns” about governance standards, oversight and conduct.
Amanda Blanc, BP’s senior independent director, thanked Manifold’s contribution to BP’s ongoing transformation but said the board was “surprised and disappointed to learn of management oversight and issues it deemed unacceptable”.
Many media outlets have reported, citing unnamed sources, that Manifold acted aggressively towards different colleagues during his short tenure at the company. CNBC has contacted a BP spokesperson and is awaiting a response.
Manifold, the former boss of Irish construction materials giant CRH, had only been in the job for around seven months and his sacking has once again raised questions about BP’s corporate governance.
“During my time as chairman, I have worked to drive real change at BP – cutting costs, challenging extremism and holding the organization to higher standards,” Manifold said.
“I completely dispute the characterization of my behavior and will not allow a false narrative to go unchallenged,” he added.
BP’s London-listed shares were trading 1.7% lower on Wednesday morning.
