OREANDA-NEWS. November 29, 2012. BP today announced the appointment of Lamar McKay as Chief Executive, Upstream. He will take up the position with effect from January 1, 2013.

In his new role, McKay will lead BP’s combined Upstream business, comprising the Exploration, Developments and Production divisions together with the Upstream strategy and integration team.

These Upstream functional divisions were formed in late 2010 in a major re-organisation of BP’s Upstream segment designed to improve risk management and implementation of global standards. They currently report directly to BP Group Chief Executive Bob Dudley.

Their current structure and management teams will remain unaffected by this change in segment leadership.

McKay, who will be based in London, will report to Bob Dudley and is already a member of BP’s executive management team.

He is currently Chairman and President of BP America -- a role he has held since early 2009 -- serving as BP’s chief representative in the United States and also overseeing BP’s Gulf Coast restoration work.

McKay has a petroleum engineering background and has served in a variety of operational and commercial roles globally, during his 32 years with the company.

Commenting on the appointment Bob Dudley said:

“During the past two years, we have successfully introduced a more centralised organisation to our Upstream; BP’s largest organisational change for two decades. I believe it is now timely and appropriate to appoint a fully dedicated chief executive to this, our largest business.

“Lamar is an outstanding leader, with a proven record of strong operational effectiveness and strategic success. His leadership of BP America over the past three years has been exemplary, during a most difficult period for our company. His long and deep experience in the upstream, and of the US and Russia, will be invaluable as we deliver our Upstream strategy worldwide.”

McKay’s successor as Chairman and President of BP America will be announced at a later date.