Kerry Dryburgh: Reinventing bp
In the last session of the day, Kerry Dryburgh, EVP people and culture, explains the role people will play in bp’s strategy and how we aim to be integrated, agile and inclusive. www.bp.com/bpweek
Executive Vice President of People, Culture & Communications, British Petroleum
Search every verified Kerry Dryburgh interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a September 2020 presentation, Kerry Dryburgh, then Executive Vice President of People and Culture at BP, outlined the company’s approach to workforce strategy as part of its broader reinvention. Dryburgh stated that BP was moving away from a siloed upstream/downstream model toward an integrated structure, and described the company’s goal of becoming more agile by deploying cross-disciplinary teams. He said BP aimed to be “increasingly diverse and inclusive,” adding that the company should “help drive forward social progress.” Dryburgh emphasized the importance of employee well-being, which he described as “becoming part of the BP language, just in the way process safety is.” He said the company was transforming its working environments to be places where people “feel they can speak up” and “know they can be themselves.” On leadership, Dryburgh said BP sought leaders who are “purpose-driven not ego-driven,” empathetic, and “prepared to hold others to account.” He concluded that the combination of capabilities, purpose, how the company works, leadership, and performance would be “the key to success” and make BP unique.
“As the person responsible for people and culture, I want to talk about how our people are key to delivering our strategy and reinventing BP, and what we're doing to help them perform at their best.”
“I'm determined to ensure we continue to do more for our people, both for those already in BP and those that will join us over the years ahead.”
“People want to work for an organization that makes a difference, a place that supports, encourages and empowers them.”
“Our purpose is what makes what we do more than just a job; it brings meaning and makes us proud to work here, and now we need to shift how it feels to work here.”
“We are integrating across and along the energy value chain — structurally BP has moved away from the siloed upstream/downstream model to create an integrated and focused BP.”
“We will continue to operate as one global workforce and progress the D&I agenda further, not just because it is the right thing to do or because it makes good business sense, but because we believe companies like ours should help drive forward social progress.”
“Transforming our working environments means not just places where people feel they can speak up, but also places where people know they can be themselves and feel supported.”
“Well-being is becoming part of the BP language, just in the way process safety is; it is a critical part of caring for our people and the communities in which we operate.”
“We looked for leaders who are delivery-focused, curious and open-minded, purpose-driven not ego-driven, who lead through our values — especially safety — are empathetic, but also prepared to hold others to account.”
“It's a combination of capabilities, purpose, how we work, leadership and performance — getting that recipe right is the key to success and I believe it is also what will make BP unique.”
In the last session of the day, Kerry Dryburgh, EVP people and culture, explains the role people will play in bp’s strategy and how we aim to be integrated, agile and inclusive. www.bp.com/bpweek
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