Is BP's CEO a fool?
The Gulf disaster was certain to hurt BP's image, says Daniel Gross in Newsweek, but top executive Tony Hayward's bumbling response has turned it into a farce
The massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was bound to prove devastating for BP's image, says Daniel Gross in Newsweek, but the company could have mitigated the PR damage with the proper response. Instead, BP CEO Tony Hayward has made the disaster worse by coming off as "glib, wistful, self-involved, and foolish." In a flourish of understatement worthy of a Monty Python character, Hayward even went so far as to say that the amount of oil spilled was "tiny" in relation to the amount of water in the Gulf — "It's just a flesh wound!" There's a standard protocol in such situations, Gross says, and Hayward has broken every rule in it. An excerpt:
"For CEOs in crisis, the playbook includes a proper appreciation of the gravity of the situation, a sense of calm urgency, and confidence-building rhetoric backed by confidence-building action. So far, Hayward is zero for three....
"As the spill worsened, Hayward fretted that he and BP were its victims. 'What they hell have we done to deserve this?' he reportedly told fellow executives. Of course, Hayward isn't the victim here. The sea life, the sea itself, the employees who died, the fishermen who are losing their livelihoods, the tourism industry, responsible drillers — they're the victims. Hayward should have been asking himself: What they hell did they do to deserve this? And what am I going to do fix it?"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Read the full article at Newsweek.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
What are Lucy Letby's grounds of appeal?
In depth Convicted former nurse's legal team claims judge at original trial wrongly refused her applications
By The Week UK Published
-
Grindr 'shared user HIV status' with ad firms, lawsuit claims
Speed Read LGBTQ dating app accused of breaching UK data protection laws in case filed at London's High Court
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
The best dog-friendly hotels around the UK
The Week Recommends Take a break with your four-legged friend in accommodation that offers you both a warm welcome
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published