London, United Kingdom - February 2, 2016, London, United Kingdom - BP announced the appointment of Lamar McKay to the new position of deputy group chief executive.
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Mr. McKay has been chief executive of BP’s Upstream segment, which consists of BP’s exploration, development and oil and gas production businesses, since 2013. He has been a member of the executive team since 2008.
In addition to assuming some duties currently borne by BP’s Group Chief Executive, Mr. McKay’s responsibilities will include strategy and long-term planning, safety and operational risk, technology, and corporate governance – including ethics and compliance.
After beginning his career with Amoco in 1980, he held a range of technical and leadership roles before working on the BP-Amoco merger 1998-2000. He moved to leadership roles in the UK North Sea and head office and then in 2003 became group vice president, Russia and Kazakhstan.
He served on the board of TNK-BP from 2004-2007. After further senior executive roles in the US and Russia, Mr. McKay was appointed chairman and president of BP America, BP’s chief representative in the US, in 2009.
Mr. McKay will be succeeded as Upstream chief executive by Bernard Looney, currently chief operating officer, production, in the Upstream segment. He will be based in London and take up the role following a suitable handover period.
Mr. Looney has been chief operating officer production in the Upstream segment since 2013, responsible for BP’s operated production, including accountability for drilling, operations, engineering, procurement and supply chain management, and health, safety and environment in the Upstream. He joined the executive team in 2010.
Mr. Looney joined BP in 1991 as a drilling engineer, holding roles in the North Sea, Vietnam and the Gulf of Mexico, before moving to executive roles in Alaska and then head office. In 2009 he took up leadership of BP’s UK & Norwegian North Sea business before moving to become executive vice president, developments, in late 2010.
These appointments headline a reorganisation of BP’s executive team that includes other adjustments which will follow the retirement of Katrina Landis, executive vice president of corporate business activities, who leaves the company on May 1 following a career of 24 years with BP.
Ms. Landis has been executive vice president, corporate business activities, responsible for BP’s integrated supply and trading activities, renewable energy activities, shipping, technology and remediation management, since 2013.
Ms. Landis joined BP in Alaska in 1992 and held senior roles in BP’s trading businesses in both the US and in the UK before becoming chief operating officer and then, in 2009, chief executive of BP Alternative Energy.
She has served as an independent director of Alstom SA since 2010, is a member of Earth Day Network’s Global Advisory Committee, and Ambassador to the U.S. Department of Energy’s US Clean Energy Education & Empowerment program. ■