BP Removes Chairman Albert Manifold Over Bullying Allegations BP’s boardroom has been plunged into turmoil after chair Albert Manifold was removed over bullying allegations, triggering a clash of narratives over where firm leadership ends and unacceptable behaviour begins.

Timeline of the fallout

The crisis surfaced publicly when BP decided to remove Manifold as chair “after claims of bullying,” with several colleagues at the UK oil major viewing his “hands-on approach” as aggressive. His behaviour and use of personal devices were also cited as factors in the ouster, piling pressure on chief executive Meg O’Neill and intensifying scrutiny of BP’s culture and governance.

Further details emerged of boardroom tensions, including that the “ousted BP chair Albert Manifold clashed with [the] company secretary before removal,” an episode that preceded company secretary Ben Mathews taking time off work following the upheaval at the oil major.

Manifold’s defence

In the days after his removal, Manifold mounted a public defence, rejecting the characterisations of his conduct. One account described how the “ousted BP chair hits out at ‘lies’ over his conduct,” with Manifold insisting he had merely “pushed hard” at the FTSE oil group and disputing criticism of his behaviour as inaccurate.

Competing perspectives

From the company side, BP’s decision framed the issue as one of workplace standards and governance, presenting the removal as a response to multiple concerns about conduct and device use at the top of the organisation. Colleagues who complained saw Manifold’s style not as robust leadership but as behaviour that crossed a line.

Manifold, by contrast, argues he is the victim of misrepresentation, casting the allegations as “lies” and portraying his actions as those of a demanding chair focused on performance rather than intimidation.

The scandal leaves BP grappling with questions over boardroom culture, the boundary between forceful management and bullying, and how its leadership will reassert stability in the wake of a very public split.

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