BP Plc has chosen Albert Manifold, the former chief executive of building-materials producer CRH, as its next chair, replacing Helge Lund. Manifold will join the board as a non-executive director on 1 September and assume the chairmanship on 1 October, when Lund departs after six years in the role. The Irish executive led CRH for 11 years, overseeing a near fivefold rise in its share price and the company’s 2023 decision to switch its primary listing to New York. BP directors said his record on portfolio reshaping, cost control and capital allocation made him “the ideal candidate” to steer the UK oil major through its next phase. Manifold arrives as BP is cutting planned renewables spending and refocusing on oil and gas to improve a share price that has fallen about 30 % since 2019. Activist investor Elliott Investment Management, which disclosed a stake of more than 5 % in April, is pressing for deeper cost cuts, divestments and higher cash returns. BP shares rose 0.6 % to 402 pence after the appointment was announced.