Tony Hayward

Group Project Proposal: Tony Hayward

Tony Hayward: Profile

Dr. Anthony Hayward is the former CEO of “British Petroleum” (BP), a global oil and natural gas company located centrally in London, United Kingdom. His educational background is both in Geology, with a degree from Aston University in Birmingham, and Geosciences with a PhD from the University of Edinburgh. He was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BP in 2007 succeeding long-time friend and mentor John Browne. The company had a history of safety incidents prior to the announcement of Hayward’s appointment as CEO of the company, and at the beginning of his tenure, promised that he would “focus like a laser” on safety.

He had gained an excellent reputation throughout the company and quickly rose throughout the ranks of BP. During his time at BP he served as the Chief Executive Officer of Exploration and Production of BP Plc, Executive Assistant of Lord Browne, President of the BP group in Venezuela and Group Treasurer at BP prior to his term as CEO. He was nicknamed “Teflon Tony” for his assertiveness and resilience while working for the company, prior to the announcement, he was considered to be the absolute top contender for the position of CEO following Browne’s departure from the company.

Unfortunately, despite Hayward’s promise to focus on safety at BP, oversaw the greatest disaster in its history, the “Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill”, or as it was commonly referred to in news broadcasts, the “BP Oil Spill”.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: The Incident

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill was not only the largest safety incident in BP’s history, but the largest man-made disaster in the world’s history. The spill originated from a sea-floor “oil gusher”, a continuous release of oil from a natural source such as an oil vein or deposit, also known as a “gusher” or “wild well”. The gusher occurred due to a “blowout” or major failure in an extractor’s pressure control system, which...