‘I made my own coffee’: BP chair hints cost-cutting push led to his ouster as he hits back at ‘lies’

By Hanna Ziady, CNN

London (CNN) — Albert Manifold, the ousted chairman of BP, is refusing to leave quietly, creating a headache for the British oil giant as it seeks to move on from the latest bout of leadership upheaval.

In a blistering response to his removal from the company Thursday, Manifold hit out at allegations about his conduct, calling them “lies.” His nearly 800-word statement suggests that his focus on cost-cutting – including eschewing a chauffeur in favor of public transport – may have made him unpopular at the firm.

BP dismissed Manifold on Tuesday after less than a year in the role, citing “serious concerns” about “governance standards, oversight and conduct,” which it described as “unacceptable.”

BP declined to provide further details, but media reports alleged that there were whistleblower complaints about bullying. A spokesperson for Manifold did not address these allegations specifically when asked by CNN, but referred us to Manifold’s statement in which he said he did not accept that “lies can be told about me.”

The surprise ouster marks the latest round of turmoil at BP, which has suffered flip-flops on strategy and leadership instability in recent years. The company is on its third CEO since 2019.

In his statement, Manifold said that he had sought to defend shareholders’ interests while at BP and call out “unnecessary or excessive expenditure,” including by playing his own part in keeping costs down.

“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.,” he noted.

“I had no interest in taking private aviation nor in availing myself of corporate tickets for sport events. I made my own coffee, bought my lunch in the local café. I sat in a small office, eschewing the grand corner-office privilege of previous chairmen,” he added.

Manifold said he did these things to set an example during a time in which the company was laying off thousands of employees.

Manifold acknowledged that his priorities, which included streamlining the board to make it more efficient, were “not always shared by everyone,” nor was his approach always welcome.

“Is it possible that in my determination to drive change on costs, performance, the balance sheet and shareholder communications, I pushed hard and challenged people directly? Yes, it is,” he wrote.

“But there is a considerable distance between driving an organisation with urgency and the characterisation of my conduct that is now being put about… I dispute entirely this characterisation of my conduct.”

Manifold said that no one had raised any issues with him about his conduct while he was chairman of BP. The company did not comment on whether it had given him a chance to respond to allegations made against him before removing him, when asked by CNN.

“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 behavior,” BP said in a statement.

The company’s shares have fallen by around 6.5% this week.

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