BP has ousted chair Albert Manifold in the face of “serious concerns” related to his conduct, oversight and governance at the firm.
The London-listed oil giant said its board “unanimously decided that [he] should no longer serve as chair and director with immediate effect”.
The company has not disclosed any details regarding the nature of the conduct and governance issues.
Mr Manifold joined BP last October as it sought to drive an upturn in performance.
Shares in BP dropped by as much as 6 per cent after Mr Manifold’s departure was confirmed, before regaining a small amount of ground in the early afternoon.
Amanda Blanc, senior independent director at BP, said: “Albert has helped bring a welcome focus and pace to BP’s transformation.
“However, the board has been surprised and disappointed to learn of governance oversight and conduct issues it deems unacceptable and has taken decisive action.”
The board has appointed Ian Tyler as interim chair and launched a search process for a permanent replacement.
Mr Manifold was appointed chair of BP in July 2025, replacing Norwegian businessman Helge Lund. He took up the post on 1 October.
Prior to joining the oil giant, he served as CEO of the Dublin-headquartered building materials firm CRH for 10 years.
For BP, it now means a third different person will need to serve as chair in the space of little more than a year, while they are also on a third chief executive since Bob Dudley departed in 2020.
Bernard Looney stepped down in a shock exit in 2023 after misleading the board over multiple personal relationships with colleagues, while Murray Auchincloss spent little more than two years in the role – including a rapid climbdown from a massive company-wide pivot to a green energy strategy.
Mr Manifold’s removal comes a month after almost a fifth of BP shareholder votes were cast against his election.
Shareholder advisory group Glass Lewis had called for investors to vote against him due to concerns over governance.
Criticism was partly linked to BP’s refusal to include a resolution filed by climate activists at its annual general meeting, with Mr Manifold saying the resolution had not been filed correctly.
The departing chair was also instrumental in the appointment of recently hired chief executive Meg O’Neill, who has sought to stabilise the firm.
Mr Tyler said the board had been “very impressed” by the new CEO’s early efforts. “She has extensive industry and operational experience and real clarity about the direction and opportunity for the business. She has already taken bold action to simplify and strengthen the organisation such as announcing the move to a clearly defined upstream/downstream model. Under her leadership we are building a simpler, stronger, more valuable BP,” he added.
