BP: A Company in Peril?

What role did ineffective leadership at BP Oil—both at the CEO and board level—play in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill?
William Klepper  | Spring 2012
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The Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Center for Leadership and Ethics Case Series

This case discusses the implications for the management team and the Board of BP Oil in the aftermath of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The Gulf disaster raised a series of very challenging, pointed questions for BP’s leadership, including the CEO and board of directors, relating to the company’s management of risk and safety over the preceding decade. This case asks students to consider if the disaster might have been avoided through better exercises of board control and governance—and what steps the company might take to improve the functioning of its board in the future.

Case ID: 120406

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