Meet the New Face of the BP Oil Spill

In an interview with Britain's Sky News, BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg revealed that CEO Tony Hayward, reviled by many, will hand over day-to-day dealings with the gulf oil spill to managing director Bob Dudley. 

"It is clear," Svanberg told host Jeff Randall, "Tony has made remarks that have upset people." Svanberg himself, it should be noted, was in trouble this week when he referred to residents of the gulf coast affected by his company's spill as "small people."

BP shares rose on the news that the role of the awkward Hayward would be changing. It's probably the only good news the company has had since the Deepwater Horizon rig blew up on April 20 and 60,000 barrels of oil per day began leaking into the Gulf of Mexico.

Svanberg added that, since the capping of the leak has taken so long, and such fundamental damage has been done to his company that "This has now turned into a reputation matter, a financial squeeze for BP and a political matter and that is why you will now see more of me." Indeed Svanberg met one-on-one with President Obama this week. 

Svanberg, a Swede who used to head mobile-phone maker Sony Ericsson, did not back Hayward, or issue a statement of support or thanks for his work. Perhaps he saw what happened when Rep. Joe Barton was conciliatory toward the embattled CEO.