智通财经网·2025-07-21 11:05Core Viewpoint - BP has appointed Albert Manifold, former CEO of CRH, as the new chairman amid its challenging strategic transformation to reverse a declining stock price [1] Group 1: Leadership Changes - Albert Manifold will replace Helge Lund as chairman starting in October [1] - Helge Lund has been chairman since 2019, but faced criticism for supporting BP's aggressive push into renewable energy [1][5] - The search for a new chairman was led by BP's senior independent director Amanda Blank, who believes Manifold is ideal for overseeing the next phase of BP's development [1] Group 2: Company Performance - BP's stock price has dropped nearly 30% since Lund took over in 2019, significantly underperforming its peers [2] - The company is currently facing pressure from activist investors like Elliott, who own over 5% of BP and are calling for cost reductions and a refocus on core oil and gas operations [5] Group 3: Market Reactions - BP's stock rose 1% to $32.31 in pre-market trading following the announcement of Manifold's appointment [2] - Analysts from JPMorgan expect that the leadership change will be positively received by the market, despite Manifold's lack of experience in the oil and gas sector [5] Group 4: Future Plans - Murray O'Hanlon, set to become CEO in January 2024, has already announced a reform plan for BP [6] - Other potential candidates for the chairman position included Sam Laidlaw, former CEO of CNA Financial, and Ken MacKenzie, former chairman of BHP [6]