An American hero

Embattled oil giant BP has sentenced CEO Tony Hayward to Siberia for his part in the mis-handling of the Gulf of Mexico spill.

His replacement will be current managing director, Bob Dudley, with Hayward sidelined to work on a joint venture between BP and Russia, based in Siberia.

Currently in charge of the day-to-day running of the response to the oil spill, Dudley now faces the hefty challenge of rebuilding and restoring confidence in the group.

He starts with BP at rock bottom after reporting a $17bn (£11bn) loss over the second quarter - one of the largest corporate losses in history. However, if anyone can turn the company around it is Dudley.

The 54-year-old joined the board of BP 18 months ago, and as managing director earned $.2m (£1.5m) last year.

Widely respected within the company, the fact he is American could help BP rebuild its damaged reputation in the US. He also grew up in Mississippi, speaks with a Southern accent and knows the Gulf Coast well.

When he took over the running of BP's Gulf Coast Restoration Organisation in June, the company described him as having a ‘deep appreciation and affinity for the Gulf Coast'.

An oil veteran, with 30 years' experience, his most high-profile role was as the chief executive of BP's joint venture in Russia. The took over the role in 2003 when the group went into partnership with AAR, a group of Russian billionaires.

The deal was worth $6bn (£3.6bn at the time) and, under Dudley, the joint venture increased oil output by a third to 1.6 million barrels per day.

However, an increasingly politicised dispute followed after a falling out between Dudley and AAR, who accused him of favouring BP.

BP's technical staff were barred from working in Russia by a Siberian court and the FSB twice raided TNK-BP's offices in Moscow.

When his visa was not renewed, Dudley left Russia in June 2008 and attempted to run operations in a secret location outside Russia. He resigned in December 2008.

Dudley has been married to his wife, Mary, for 30 years and they have two children.

He has a BA in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois, and holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University.