Downstream Chief Executive Tufan Erginbilgic to leave BP

BP announced that Tufan Erginbilgic, chief executive of BP’s Downstream segment, has decided to leave the company at the end of March 2020. 

Erginbilgic has been BP’s Downstream chief executive and a member of its executive team since 2014. 

In his time leading the segment – which includes BP’s global fuels, lubricants and petrochemicals businesses – it has delivered more than USD5 billion in underlying annual earnings growth and expanded in fast-growing markets, retail partnerships, electric vehicle charging and use of bio-products. 

“Under Tufan’s leadership, BP’s downstream has been at the heart of our return to growth; what he has achieved in this time is extraordinary. He has transformed the business, leading a team that has delivered impressive results time and again. I have always appreciated his strategic thinking, expertise and understanding of the business and will miss having him on the team,” said Bernard Looney, BP chief executive.

“I am very proud of what we have achieved together in the downstream. We have gone through an incredible transformation, delivered against our clear strategy and built a strong platform for continued growth. I truly feel privileged to have led this business – we have talented, dedicated people with great capability throughout the organisation and I am confident they have what it will take to compete and lead through the energy transition,” Erginbilgic said.

An engineer by training, Erginbilgic joined Mobil in 1990, moving to BP in 1997, and has held a wide variety of roles in refining and marketing in Turkey, various European countries and the UK. 

He became head of BP’s European fuels business in 2004 and of its global lubricants business in 2006, before moving to head the group chief executive’s office. From 2009 he was chief operating officer for the eastern hemisphere fuels value chains and lubricants businesses. Before his current role Erginbilgic had been chief operating officer of BP’s fuels business globally, responsible for all of BP’s fuels, refining and marketing activities. 

Erginbilgic’s successor will be announced separately.