The Big Picture

Vincent Boland: Bernard Looney got costly lesson from BP in need to be upfront about staff romance

The former BP chief executive has forfeited £32 million after board found he ‘knowingly misled’ them about past relationships with colleagues

Bernard Looney: Irishman resigned as BP chief executive in September after board found he had not been fully transparent about past relationships with colleagues. Picture: PA

There used to be something almost imperial about being the chief executive of a Big Oil company – the super majors, as they are known. That was true especially of ExxonMobil, whose bosses often had more power than the governments of countries it operated in, and of BP, formerly British Petroleum, which has its roots deep in the British empire.

And as it happens, BP’s executive suite can be as dysfunctional as any royal family. ...