BP names Ian Tyler permanent chair following ousting of Albert Manifold
Oil major BP has appointed Ian Tyler as permanent chair after he served in the role on an interim basis since the controversial removal of Albert Manifold in May. Senior independent director Amanda Blanc, who led the search, also announced she will step down next year.
BP has concluded a months-long search process by appointing Ian Tyler as its permanent chair, aiming to close the chapter on recent boardroom turmoil at the oil and gas company. The board approved his appointment unanimously, and he takes up the role with immediate effect.
Tyler has served as a non-executive director on BP's board since April 2025 and had already been acting as interim chair in recent months. He steps into the permanent post after Albert Manifold's abrupt removal as chair in late May, just eight months into the job. BP attributed the decision to concerns over governance oversight and conduct.
Controversy over Manifold's removal
Amanda Blanc, BP's senior independent director who had led the process that brought Manifold in to replace Helge Lund, faced criticism over the episode. Following Manifold's exit, she said that while he had helped drive the company's transformation, the board had identified governance and conduct issues it considered unacceptable. Reports suggested colleagues had felt belittled by Manifold and that he had tried to act more like an executive than a chair. Manifold himself said he had been dismissed without warning and disputed the claims made about his conduct.
Blanc announced on Wednesday that she will step down at next year's annual meeting.
Tyler's background and mandate
Tyler brings extensive corporate experience, having previously served as chief executive of construction firm Balfour Beatty. He currently chairs builders' merchant Grafton Group and is senior independent director at mining company Anglo American. He has also previously chaired Cairn Energy and housebuilder Vistry Group, and served as a non-executive director at defence contractor BAE Systems.
His mandate includes overseeing BP's strategic pivot back toward fossil fuel extraction while scaling back renewable energy investments. BP chief executive Meg O'Neill recently urged UK authorities to make greater use of domestic oil and gas resources, even as the company seeks to sell its North Sea business, which she described as uncompetitive within BP's portfolio. The company recently posted its highest quarterly profit since the early stages of Russia's war in Ukraine, helped by rising oil and gas prices linked to the Middle East crisis.
