Published: FT Letters, 14 June 2010
Sir,
The absence from the public stage of the chairman of BP during the traumatic events that have unfolded off the coast of Louisiana has started a discussion about the role that he might have played, alongside the company's beleaguered chief executive.
Two thoughts strike me. First, that the role of the chairman of major companies seems to have been somewhat diluted over recent years, to the point where it is necessary to ask whether the boards of such companies have a clear idea what they expect from this particular role - given the level of their remuneration and what would appear to be the confused internal responsibilities, vis-à-vis the senior management of such companies.
The second is the nature of handling both the public profile of the company and the political consequences of actions that affect large numbers of people on a transnational basis. I could have wept for CEO Tony Hayward - but I was also asking myself: "Who on earth is alongside him giving him advice, both on the issue of good communication and on the political pitfalls?"
If BP is unable to handle these sorts of situations - albeit ones that are more difficult than most chief executives will ever face - Lord help other companies in future, as they struggle with an increasingly complex world, in an unprecedented communications environment.
Rt Hon David Blunkett MP (Labour, Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough)
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