A cartoon showing BP board members who are up for re-election at the BP AGM
Today BP’s Annual General Meeting kicks off in London, off the back of a record-breaking 2022 for profits. BP made £22 billion in 2022, which could have paid for a 1/3 of the UK’s household energy bills. It’s therefore little surprise that BP has also said they will be “slowing” down the move away from oil gas.
But who are the Board of Directors, today slapping each other on the backs and committing to more oil and gas, whilst the rest of us pray for warmer weather so we can switch that costly heating off?
Join us as we dive into the who’s who of the BP board, exploring their roles, earnings, and a fun little fact or two so you can better know those who got richer, whilst the rest of us got poorer.
Bernard Looney "The Fatcat" (CEO)
"The Fatcat" Looney announced 10,000 layoffs in 2020 whilst earning a £10 million salary in 2022. It would take an average UK worker 300 years to match that!
Murray Auchincloss "The Futurist" (CFO)
"The Futurist" Auchincloss emphasised not cutting ties with hydrocarbons just after becoming CFO in 2020. A true visionary indeed...
Sir John Sawers (Director)"The Spymaster"
"The Spymaster" Sawers, a former MI6 head turned oil industry insider, Sawers' earnings ensure he's not shaking or stirring his own martinis.
Paula Rosput Reynolds (Director) "The Paymaster"
"The Paymaster" Reynolds sets BP’s top brass salaries and chairs the UK National Grid. She backed a 99% pay raise for BP execs, while the average UK worker got only 5.9%.
Helge Lund (Board Chair) "Mr Oil"
"Mr. Oil" Lund A former Equinor CEO, pocketed millions from the BG Group-Shell deal. He's a big player in the oil game.
Melody Meyer (Director) "The Oil Rockstar"
"The Oil Rockstar" Meyer spent 36 years with Chevron and owned a £5 million lakeside mansion. She famously skipped a US Congress hearing on climate plans. Hmmm... We wonder why?
Pamela Daley (Director) "The American Money"
"The American Money" Daley is also a Director at Blackrock, which invests in controversial firms linked to deforestation and indigenous rights abuses.
Tushar Morzaria (Director) "The British Money"
“British Money” Morzaria until recently, a Barclay’s Bank executive overseeing a “multibillion-dollar blunder” that cost the bank $200 million. He was still paid £3.9 million by Barclays in 2022.
Help us hold the fossil fuel industry to account.
So, there you have it - the faces, and colossal salaries, of the individuals behind a company that made record profits in 2022.
Absurd? Yes. Funny? No. We must hold BP accountable for their refusal to move off oil and gas and push for a transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future.
We encourage you to channel your disbelief, amusement, and, yes, even anger into a call for change.
Join the Global Witness community by signing up for our newsletter, and together we can expose the truth, challenge the status quo, and advocate for a world that puts people and the planet first. The oil industry's reign has lasted long enough – let's work together to ensure a brighter, greener tomorrow – that works for both our pockets and the future of the planet.