On 12 September 2023, BL did 'an Elvis Presley' and left the building. A year has been, and a year has gone, and still no one is employing him. He presumably doesn't need the cash, nevertheless he is jobless. No US Corporation or UK Company has come in for him, let alone consider him. The only talks which have been held were with Masdar three months ago, with ADNOC falling over themselves to say that they were not in talks with him as a state owned oil company. The Gulf States have a big thing about not being publicly humiliated. Masdar's Dr Sultan Al Jaber may feel he owes old BL a favour for the creepy crawly letter Bertard wrote to the Financial Times supporting Al Jaber's appointment as head of COP28. This situation may be a crumb of comfort for those who get laid off during the ongoing turmoil this company is still going through. You may not have his money, but you are more likely to have another employer interested in you. Personally, I think BL would be great as a children's entertainer - he has the requisite goofyness. At the end of the day, the fact nobody is interested in him gives you an idea of what they thought of him in the first place.
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His cv has nothing going for it. He did nothing in any of the roles he had except tell us how he liked to look good and take care of himself. All the BS about mental health whilst crucifying his wife and ditching girlfriends and staff along the way. Tell me one actual achievement? He flew out to Houston on the back of DWH to help out - sensibly the powers that be at the time made him responsible for media relations - which shows you how his technical and business skills were perceived at the time.
@2mdn+1v2uFdaK yes, he did resign on 12 September which I assume would make him subject to a non-compete. However, in the December, the company on the advice of their top corporate lawyers, Freshfields, formally fired him. It was then that the amount he was obliged to pay back was announced. I think they had to fire him to get their money back. Whether the firing frees him from a non-competing clause, I don't know. The only interest in him has been talks with Masdar, but that was three months ago. DL seems to have been employed again in less than a year, but the company didn't make such a public example of him.
I know people who were laid off and had non competes, so they don’t just apply to people who resign. I do not know what happens when you’re fired. However I believe BL did actually resign. The FT reported that he chose to resign rather than go through another round of grilling about the fresh allegations that had emerged.
@2pud+1v2uFdaK it's interesting that you mention the 'non-compete'. Do you think that would apply if he was sacked ( which is ultimately what happened in December). I can understand such a clause coming into play if he resigned, and there would, I think, usually be a one year's period of notice. But this is slightly different in that the company, acting on the advice of their corporate lawyers, made sure he was formally sacked. Do you think that would change the situation? I think in BL's case he has the problem that although his workplace relationships were consensual, and there was never any question of impropriety, companies are getting very cautious about hiring someone whose reputation precedes them. He could be vulnerable to false allegations.
I don’t think former CEOs go looking for jobs like the rest of us. These guys typically fail upwards by starting their own companies. I doubt Bernard is sitting around waiting for somebody to ‘employ’ him. He’s either decided he’s loaded enough, or he’ll eventually start his own company. He most likely has a non compete that would have prevented him from working for anybody else for a year anyway.
To the downvoter on post @1wwl+1v2uFdaK, do you believe this company has been successful relative to any possible peers, or that executives have been worth anything in many years?
@1wwl+1v2uFdaK excellent summation from you. BL I think was the final straw. If he hadn't been gotten rid of when they did, things would be worse. The company didn't need his 'woke' agenda. What the top levels are paid in this company (and I am including the full remuneration package) means they are all living high on the hog with lifestyles that others could never dream of. And yet, none of the leadership team is an outstanding individual. You are also right about less reliance with McKinsey, but I believe it was BL who was outsourcing so much of the strategic thinking to them. Given the mess the company is in, is it any surprise that no employer is touching Looney. In December last year, one of the tabloids reported he was 'in a bad place'. Probably about the time he realised employers weren't seeking him out. They should have begged Gilvary to come back and got rid of those on the LT appointed by BL. Sadly, it looks like it's too late for a fresh start.
This company is merely a shell of its former self. Bertard significantly damaged the company on top of all of its previous, self-inflicted wounds. None of the current cast of clowns is going change the trajectory. These people are here to spout canned lines, collect lavish pay, and then retire. bP needed an en--a...new board, outside ceo, all-new LT (and not some drooling id--ts brought in from McKinsey), but didn't get it. Thus, the company will limp along until it sheds enough assets and gets taken over.
@1nwh+1v2uFdaK I think MA is a poor communicator which doesn't fill the rest of us with confidence when he talks about things like BPX. He isn't clear. Having said that, if he had to go, I don't think he would still be unemployed a year later like BL.
@1nwh+1v2uFdaK perfectly put. The company had a great opportunity at the of 2023 for a fresh start. Hire a CEO from outside. Clear out the LT and try again. If what you're doing isn't working, do something different.
Bertard is just one clown in a parade of loser CEOs. I expect MA to eventually leave under ignominious circumstances...doubt he will be able to salvage what is left of bp. Murrtard is off to a bad start, as well. Need new board and new ceo and new LT and a big dose of good luck and maybe company will survive
@1gdn+1v2uFdaK would you give an example of how they covered up for him, other than not reporting that matter to HR? What specific cover ups do you know about?
@1gdn+1v2uFdaK He appointed a good few of the LT, particularly the strategist acquired from McKinsey. The Board must have known that if they and Freshfields asked about his "romantic" company relationships, he would lie. He fell into the trap. Lying to the main Board is unacceptable.
@1lsy+1v2uFdaK it's obvious that over the decades that he will have accumulated sufficient wealth never to work again. But, the point is, nobody has been beating a path to his door to employ him. Surely, that gives an indication of how other employers view him. The Board and Freshfields gave him the chance to tell the truth. He lied to the Board. Game over.
I never said he’s wonderful, but the entire board and the current ELT are no better. They all knew about his behavior for years and covered up for him. He was a convenient scapegoat when our share price didn’t perform but they still have no clue how to get things back on track.
Who cares? He never needs to work another day in his life if he doesn't want to.
@1qxt+1v2uFdaK You are right. A lot of the current mess the company is in is down to that man. Sadly, his lack of insight and strategy will effect this company for many years to come. If he was so wonderful, how come no US oil major has come in for him, nor any UK, European or Middle East State company?
@1sdh+1v2uFdaK He approved and appointed the team. Including one whom it was well known he was intimately involve with up at th North Sea. As for 'Bertard', if you do a search on this site, you will find that is how many have referred to him on here. At the end of the day, Freshfields and the Board proved him to be a liar. If you lie to the Board, all trust is gone.
bertard is so fitting
I think it’s naive to think that Bernard is the one who came up with the entire strategy on his own. Haven’t you noticed that his entire ELT is still in place, including the head of strategy? We still have the same board and chairman too. Stop blaming everything on Bernard Looney, this is a bp problem. Also, you sound stupid and bitter when you call him Bertard.
@eto+1v2uFdaK regarding his haircut, the last photo I saw of him, he has a bald patch developing on the back of the head which makes me laugh when you consider what a narcissist he must be. Even DL got taken on after a considerable time by a much smaller outfit, but nobody is interested in Bertard. Presumably, they don't want their business wrecked. BP really took their eyes off the wheel when they appointed him. Virtually everything he did in three and a half years is having to be reversed - think how much it's going to cost. He made this company a laughing stock. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall of the final board meeting when he resigned. Apparently, he is holding £5M of shares which can't be sold until two years after he left. Can you imagine what would have happened if he had been allowed to carry on the way he was going. He was only interested in how many cups of coffee we sold! I wonder if people like MA still keep in touch with him or if they cross the road when they see him coming?
he is shameless, he is a mo--n, he is purely about the optics, and he has no other redeeming characteristics other than an expensive haircut.