BP APPOINTS NEW CHAIR- Interim Chair Ian Tyler assumes the role on a permanent basis immediately
BP has appointed a new chair after a months-long search following the controversial ousting of Albert Manifold seeking to draw a line under the boardroom turmoil at the oil and gas company.
Ian Tyler, who has served as the interim chair and sat on the BP board as a non-executive director since April 2025, is assuming the role on a permanent basis immediately. His appointment comes after Manifold’s removal in late May after only eight months in the role, with BP citing concerns about governance oversight and conduct.
Amanda Blanc, BP’s senior independent director who led the search for a new chair and also runs the insurer Aviva as chief executive, announced on Wednesday she would stand down at next year’s annual meeting.
Tyler is a former chief executive of the construction company Balfour Beatty, who chairs the builders merchants Grafton Group and is a senior independent director of the mining company Anglo American. Tyler has previously chaired Cairn Energy and the housebuilder Vistry Group even as he served as a non-executive director of the defence contractor BAE Systems.
Tyler, now tasked with overseeing a shift in BP’s strategy to refocus on fossil fuel extraction and ditch renewable energy investments, has stated that he will lead the board’s evolution, ensuring that there is the depth, experience and capabilities needed to support the company’s strategic priorities and long-term value creation whilst being committed to establishing regular and transparent engagement with the shareholders.
