Mark Kleinman: BP might do well to plug credibility gap with Soames Business Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his City AM column BP might do well to plug credibility gap with Soames Now that the dust has begun to settle on Albert Manifold’s ousting as BP chairman, the mutual recriminations between the company and its erstwhile leader have begun [...]
‘Lies’ – Chaos at BP as sacked chair defends himself against ‘anonymous’ attacks Energy Albert Manifold has dialled up his attack on his former employer BP, accusing the energy giant of lacking direction before he took the reins and denying the “lies” that have been told about him since his abrupt firing. In his second statement in as many days, BP’s ousted chair launched a staunch defence of his [...]
BP chair Manifold hits back at ‘false’ misconduct claims Energy BP’s ousted chair has hit back at the group’s decision to fire him over governance issues, launching a robust defence of his short-lived tenure on the supermajor’s board and rejecting the “false narrative” surrounding his sudden departure. In a move poised to plunge the London-listed energy giant into a full-blown governance crisis, Albert Manifold defended [...]
BP chair ousted over ‘volcanic’ behaviour after less than a year May 26, 2026 The chair of BP has been fired after less than a year, after “serious concerns” about his conduct were lodged with the energy major’s board. Albert Manifold was stripped of his roles as chair and director of the London-listed petrochemicals giant having only taken the reins last July, with director Amanda Blanc saying the board [...]
Rachel Reeves to shake up pensions to boost UK investment June 5, 2025 The government is set to shake up UK pensions today, with Rachel Reeves planning several government-backed megafunds to boost pension wealth and investment. In the most significant reform to the pensions system since 2021, the bill will focus on six areas – from giving the government a “reserve” power to force pension schemes to invest [...]
Aviva: Direct Line buyout ‘firmly on track’ despite CMA investigation May 15, 2025 Aviva expects its £3.7bn acquisition of Direct Line to be completed by the middle of this year despite a new investigation by the competition watchdog into the deal. In a trading update, the insurance giant’s CEO, Amanda Blanc, said the acquisition was “firmly on track,” and cash to pay for the takeover had been ring-fenced. Yesterday, the Competition [...]
BP chair Helge Lund to step down as Aviva chief heads search for successor April 4, 2025 BP has announced that its chair Helge Lund will step down, with Aviva chief executive Amanda Blanc – a non-executive director for the blue-chip oil giant – set to lead the search for a successor. Lund is expected to stay on until 2026, which BP says will “ensure an orderly transition.” Blanc has said that [...]
Tensions flair at Direct Line following Aviva takeover bid December 1, 2024 A battle is brewing over Direct Line about whether to accept any further takeover bids from Aviva, as its CEO seeks more time to turn the business around. Talking to the Sunday Times following the rejected £3.3bn bid from Aviva last week, Direct Line CEO Adam Winslow urged shareholders to back his turnaround plan over [...]
Bosses at world’s biggest banks: Britain is ‘ready for investment’ October 14, 2024 Bosses at five of the world’s biggest banks, along with a host of insurers, private equity firms and tech giants, have backed a push to invest in the UK ahead of the government’s flagship investment summit today. More than a dozen executives signed a letter stating that they were optimistic about the future of the [...]
Aviva: We believe in the UK despite the ‘doom and gloom’ June 27, 2024 The UK's economic fundamentals remain attractive for business despite the "doom and gloom" that has plagued the country, Amanda Blanc has said.