BP Plc has appointed Kate Thomson as interim chief financial officer, the first woman in that role, after boss Bernard Looney’s unexpected departure prompted a reshuffle at the top of the company.
Thomson takes over from Murray Auchincloss, who was named interim chief executive officer last week. Looney left the company abruptly after admitting he’d failed to fully disclose past relationships with colleagues.
Thomson, 55, is currently BP’s senior vice president of finance for production and operations. She has been at the company for almost two decades holding a number of senior roles in finance including group Treasurer and head of group tax.
“Kate’s experience and skills make her ideally suited to take on the role of interim CFO. She brings deep technical knowledge together with a detailed understanding of bp,” Auchincloss said in a statement.
BP began its hunt to replace Looney permanently last week searching for candidates internally and externally, it said. Chairman Helge Lund told investors he would not be running for the position. The company has not appointed an external CEO at least in its modern history.