LONDON - British energy giant BP announced Wednesday that John Manzoni, head of the group`s refining and marketing business, would step down at the end of August.
"Mr Manzoni has agreed with the board that, following a three-month handover period, he will step down as a group managing director and leave BP on Aug 31," the energy company said in a brief statement.
BP added that Manzoni would be replaced by Iain Conn, who will take up his role on Thursday.
Manzoni was widely reported to be the target of the planned reshuffle following a deadly blast at BP`s Texas City oil refinery in March 2005.
The devastating explosion, which left 15 people dead and was the worst US industrial accident since 1990, raised doubts about safety at all the group`s US facilities.
The departure of Manzoni also comes just weeks after former BP chief executive John Browne resigned after revelations that he lied to a High Court judge over his private life.
Browne was replaced on May 1 by Tony Hayward, who has since been under pressure to carry out a top-level management revamp.
Manzoni, who has worked at BP for 24 years, will be moving to Canadian oil and gas group Talisman Energy Inc as new president and chief executive officer from September 1, 2007.
05/30/2007 15:48 GMT