By Emiliya (edited by) Mychasuk and Emiko (edited by) Terazono
Published: September 26 2007 03:00 | Last updated: September 26 2007 03:00
Speculation has begun on when the search for the next chairman of BP might get under way, ahead of the current end of the term for hands-on chairman Peter Sutherland in about 18 months.
The 61-year-old’s contract had been extended “into 2009”, after Tony Hayward had replaced Lord Browne as chief executive as a result of the latter’s own abrupt retirement.
When he was re-elected at the last annual meeting, BP said that Mr Sutherland had been “pivotal in the work of the board, its relations with shareholders and its interface with Lord Browne and his executive team. He has led the chairman’s committee through the process of selection of a successor to Lord Browne.
“Mr Sutherland’s performance was evaluated by other members of the chairman’s committee. The board has confirmed its full support for Mr Sutherland in his role as chairman.”
However, it is the board’s policy that non-executives “are not generally expected to hold office for more than 10 years” and Mr Sutherland has held the chair since 1997.
Internal candidates include Sir William Castell, the GE director who was chief executive of Amersham, appointed last year, as well as deputy chairman Sir Ian Prosser, although he has also been on the board since 1997. An external search for an outsider – perhaps an American in honour of BP’s significant US assets at a tough time – would follow the example of Shell in hiring Jorma Ollila from Nokia after the exit of Sir Philip Watts.
In the meantime, Mr Sutherland’s office is now so much closer to Mr Hayward’s after a rejig that the chairman shows nosign of being any less involved.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
