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Where is Tony Hayward? Not in the Gulf.
BP executive Tony Hayward
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Steve Chiotakis: We're gonna get a take on the global perspective. What's happening in business and economics around the world and how it affects the United States. British oil giant BP seems to be containing the oil gusher again -- after a collision of some of its equipment a mile under the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. For a time yesterday, oil was spewing at previously high levels until a fix was made.
A complete fix, of course, would help give company CEO Tony Hayward his life back. But for now, he's out of the spotlight. The beleaguered exec is no longer running the British oil giant's cleanup operations. From London, Stephen Beard has more.
Stephen Beard: Once he was everywhere -- on the Gulf Coast, on Capitol Hill, on the nightly TV news. Then suddenly, Tony Hayward disappeared. He failed to show-up at a major oil industry gathering in London. Another public appearance was also cancelled.
Now we know why. Hayward has been replaced. Not as chief executive, but as BP's boss in the Gulf. That job has now gone to an American BP executive who comes from Mississippi. This just may help the company's shatttered reputation, says oil analyst Nick McGregor:
Nick McGregor: They'll be a greater degree of empathy when people see somebody who is from one of the Gulf states standing there and saying BP cares about what's happening here.
But still, the question remains: Where is Tony Hayward? BP's press office says they never comment on the chief executive's whereabouts. But one commentator here reckons that Hayward is enjoying his lower profile and sailing his yacht on the unpolluted waters off the southern coast of England.
In London, this is Stephen Beard for Marketplace.
Hey Tony, Bring your family to my home on the beach and help me pick up the oil/tarballs. I will help you get your life back, and you will help me pick up my beach. You completely buried your head in the sand, and let us die down here. You should be ashamed of yourself, and have to live in this sewer you have created. I applaud BP for removing you, it was the first reasonable act of a dispicable company that I actually have stock in. What if your kids had to ask you why their beaches were closed? Again, shame on you. John Shields, Destin Florida
I very much enjoy Stephen Beard’s reports from the London perspective. The story on Tony Hayward’s whereabouts seems a little like filler and perhaps even last week’s news and maybe even the wrong lead. I think most people get it that Mr Hayward steps in it – a lot, but he never stepped directly in his oil. By his own words he “knows nothingâ€, “wasn’t thereâ€, “can’t recallâ€, or just plain “can’t comment due to the on-going investigation.â€
Straight forward statement – He’s made himself irrelevant.
Something that is relevant -
Who is looking after the operations in the Gulf?
You started to mention this Stephen but then glanced over it. Might be one of two people.
Darryl Willis took over as the Claims Manager for BP. I believe he is from one of the Gulf Coast States, perhaps Mississippi, and he volunteered. Who would volunteer for the Claims Manager job? He’s either crazy, very brave, or both. I’m hoping he’s very brave, innovative, and action oriented.
The 20B dollar escrow fund is a big step forward. If it took a little arm twisting from the Oval Office, then “so be itâ€.
Kenneth Feinberg getting into the battle is a positive step forward. Darryl Willis, Oval Office Arm Twisting for 20B, and Kenneth Feinberg is a much better story than wasting air time on … who was the nobody that you were talking about Stephen.
Or, Stephen, you could be talking about Bob Dudley. At least Bob Dudley went out to some of the really seriously damaged areas of the marsh … and stepped in the black gooey stuff … then took at least some action. It remains to be seen if he will continue being an activist and innovator. Hey, he bought 32 of the Costner machines. He is the one reported to be taking over for – who was this story about.
It is unclear whether Bob Dudley “replaced†- what is his name – or if BP is setting up a long term structure to deal with the Spill Control, Stoppage, Cleanup and Recovery headed by Bob Dudley who in turn then reports to – What’s his name. It makes some sense since this will be a multi-year or even a multi-decade effort to have a separate operations team dealing with it. This then allows the other BP employees to get back to the business of running an oil company so BP can pay for all of this. And it makes some sense that – What’s his name – gets back to taking care of Corporate Governance – or lack thereof.
I suggest that Darryl Willis, Kenneth Fienberg, and Bob Dudley are your story with lead in something like
Can Dudley, Feinberg, and Willis mount a credible response to the disaster in the Gulf?
Just a thought... Seriously .. Forget about "What's his name" and do a follow up please.
Ps. We quickly got over the yacht thing once the US Team got into the round of 16. And then there was the "General Rolling Stone" Bru-ha-ha thing that also pushed "What his name" off the front page... GOOD! The world is bigger than - Gosh - I can't remember his name.
