UK: Oil and gas company BP has removed its chair Albert Manifold, former chair of Ireland-based cement producer CRH, after allegations of misconduct. Media reports described his behaviour with different colleagues across the company as ‘aggressive,’ with BP expressing ‘serious concerns about his governance standards, oversight and conduct,’ according to The Guardian. Manifold was appointed in October 2025, having previously served more than a decade at CRH. Manifold has said that he “may have pushed hard and challenged people directly,” but he disputed reports from the company about his behaviour, adding that such ‘accusations’ had never been made about his behaviour during his 40-year career and that he ‘did not accept’ the ‘lies that [were] told’ about him.
Manifold said “I had no interest in having a dedicated chauffeur-driven limousine at my beck and call on the occasions that I was in London. I, like most people, walked, took taxis, trains, etc. I had no interest in taking private aviation nor in availing myself of corporate tickets for sports events. I made my own coffee, bought my lunch in the local cafe. I sat in a small office, eschewing the grand corner-office privilege of previous chairmen.” Manifold reportedly did this to ‘set an example’ at a time when the company was cutting costs and letting workers go.
BP said “We note the comments of our former chair. We stand by the statement we have made. We have a duty of care to all our employees, particularly those impacted by his behaviour.”
