On May 26, bp’s board unanimously removed Albert Manifold as chair and director, citing serious concerns about governance standards, oversight and conduct.
Amanda Blanc, senior independent director at bp, acknowledged Manifold’s contributions before sharing the news of his removal in a statement. “Albert has helped bring a welcome focus and pace to bp’s transformation,” she wrote. “However, the board has been surprised and disappointed to learn of governance oversight and conduct issues it deems unacceptable and has taken decisive action.”
Ian Tyler was named interim chair with immediate effect, and bp says a succession process for a permanent chair will be initiated. Tyler joined BP’s board as a non-executive director in April 2025 and was serving as chair of its remuneration committee before being elevated to interim chair.
Tyler used his first statement as interim chair to signal continuity, expressing confidence in CEO Meg O’Neill and describing bp as “building a track record of strong underlying operational performance and a tight focus on financial discipline.”
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Code of conduct ‘not just wallpaper’
The board did not announce a review, an investigation or a transition period. It acted, named a successor and moved on, a decisive response that requires infrastructure that many organizations only discover they lack when a crisis arrives. The sequencing demonstrates that when the right structures exist, boards can move without prolonging uncertainty for employees, investors or the public.
HR leaders at large public companies are often the architects of exactly these mechanisms that include codes of conduct, board-level reporting channels and executive succession plans that function under pressure rather than just on paper.
“Culture is no longer viewed as wallpaper, wrote Tammy Perkins, a chief people officer whose insight was recently published by HR Executive. “It’s a performance lever and a reputational safeguard. Boards know culture drives results, and they expect CHROs to measure and manage it with rigor.”
Users on LinkedIn expressed concern, with one commenter saying, “Like others before him, Manifold signed the Code of Conduct, then promptly ignored it. Should sound a warning to all bp board directors and executive team members that the CoC is not just wallpaper.”
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