visimoney
TLDR: BP has appointed Murray Auchincloss, its former chief financial officer, as its new CEO. Auchincloss, who has been with the company for 25 years, has been serving as interim CEO since the departure of Bernard Looney in September 2023. He is seen as a continuity candidate who will continue to implement BP’s strategy of transitioning to net zero by 2050 or sooner. However, some investors are skeptical about BP’s transition to renewable energy, questioning whether wind turbines, hydrogen, biofuels, and EV charging points can generate the same returns as fossil fuels. On Looney’s watch, BP shares consistently traded at a discount compared to other oil majors like Chevron and Exxon. Auchincloss faces the challenge of demonstrating that renewable energy investments can be as profitable as fossil fuels. BP has set a target for its transition assets to generate top-line earnings of $10bn by 2030, but doubts remain due to the long lead times for these projects. Despite criticism from some investors, BP’s board has chosen continuity and will give Auchincloss time to succeed or fail with the net-zero strategy.
