Albert Manifold has hit back at what he calls “lies” about his behaviour following his removal as chairman of BP earlier this week.
Manifold, who served as chairman for less than a year, said no-one should be “allowed to hide behind anonymity” when commenting on his time at the company.
He issued a formal statement in response to media reports about his conduct after BP’s board dismissed him with immediate effect on Tuesday.
BP said his removal was the result of “serious concerns” related to “important governance standards, oversight and conduct” at the company.
“I fully accept that the members of the Board have made their decision that I am no longer to be Chairman and a Director of BP,” Manifold said in the statement.
He added that during his tenure as chairman, no issues regarding his conduct or his relationships with colleagues were ever raised with him directly.
“In my 40-year working career, I have never once had accusations made against me such as those made in recent days. I dispute entirely this characterisation of my conduct,” he said.
Manifold also suggested that his priorities as chairman, particularly around shareholder interests, “were not always shared by everyone” within the organisation.
He appeared to position himself as a cost-conscious chairman, pushing back against what he viewed as unnecessary spending during his time leading the board.
“Where I saw unnecessary or excessive expenditure, I called it out,” he said, indicating he had taken a firm stance on financial discipline at the energy company.
Manifold went further, describing his personal approach to the role as deliberately modest and removed from the trappings often associated with senior executive positions.
“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,” he said.
The statement represents a significant and direct public challenge to the narrative that has emerged since his abrupt dismissal from one of Britain’s largest energy companies.
BP has not publicly elaborated beyond its original statement citing governance and conduct concerns as the basis for the board’s decision to act with immediate effect.
The episode has drawn considerable attention given the speed and circumstances of Manifold’s departure, coming so early into what had been expected to be a longer tenure leading the BP board.