Fired BP chair disputes oil company’s claims of poor conduct

The ousted chair of BP , Albert Manifold, has accused the oil company of firing him without warning and disputed reports about his conduct, amid the latest boardroom turmoil to rock the company. In an emailed statement, Manifold said he was “removed without warning and without explanation” by the FTSE 100 company. The former chair added: “I dispute entirely the characterisation of my conduct and I will not allow a false narrative to go unchallenged.” BP announced Manifold’s departure with immediate effect on Tuesday after less than a year in the role, expressing serious concerns ​about his governance standards, oversight and conduct. Manifold’s behaviour with different colleagues across the company was described as aggressive, according to reports. Reuters reported that the board received enough information after a whistleblower report to determine a pattern of unacceptable behaviour, according to a source. The Financial Times reported that senior colleagues felt belittled by Manifold, while he was also seen as trying to exert control as if he were an executive rather than a chair. Manifold was appointed as BP’s chair in October 2025, after serving as chief executive of the Irish building materials company CRH. …