BP deputy chief to leave company in latest upheaval after Albert Manifold departure

Carol Howle, BP's deputy chief executive, is retiring from the oil and gas giant just three months after being promoted to the position. This move marks the latest upheaval in the company's senior leadership, following the unexpected dismissal of chairman Albert Manifold in May.

Howle, 54, assumed the deputy CEO role in April, alongside her responsibilities leading the company's trading division. She will leave BP in the third quarter, and Sam Skerry, BP's head of mergers and acquisitions, will succeed her as head of trading. BP stated that Howle's deputy CEO role was always intended to be temporary and that she is not leaving for another company but plans to travel.

However, BP did not publicly disclose the temporary nature of Howle's appointment when it was announced in April, coinciding with Meg O’Neill taking the helm as the new chief executive. At the time, Howle was expected to oversee the company's "ongoing portfolio review and strategy development."

Howle's departure is likely to intensify scrutiny on the rapid changes within BP's senior ranks. Manifold, 63, was ousted in May due to "serious concerns" over his behavior, which reports suggest included allegations of bullying. Manifold has denied these allegations.

In addition to Howle's retirement, Kerry Dryburgh, executive vice-president of people and culture, is also leaving BP. Sonya Adams, O'Neill's current chief of staff, will replace Dryburgh. These changes follow a series of departures, including Helge Lund, Manifold's predecessor, and Bernard Looney, the former chief executive who was dismissed in September 2023 for misleading the board about past relationships. Looney and Lund had initially aimed to reduce BP's oil and gas output and invest in renewables, but investor pressure led to a rollback of that strategy to improve the company's stock performance.

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Carol led the company through a critical transitional phase as interim and then deputy CEO. With her departure I have chosen not to replace the deputy CEO role. We have significant actions under way to streamline the organisational model and we have a focused leadership team in place.