Our Arctic Neighbors: Russian Arctic boss joins TNK-BP board

A conflict between BP and its Russian partners in joint venture company TNK-BP appears to have been resolved, with the signing of a memorandum of understanding in early September. BP Chairman Peter Sutherland had complained in June that the AAR group of shareholders, which includes billionaires Mikhail Fridman and Victor Vekselberg, was trying to take control of the company. Since then there have been some high-level personnel changes on the BP side.

Most recently, TNK-BP appointed David Peattie to its board of directors, the company announced in a release Sept. 29. Peattie, a BP Group vice president, has also recently been appointed as head of BP’s businesses in Russia and Kazakhstan. He is responsible for BP’s interests in TNK-BP as well as its businesses in the Russian Arctic, Sakhalin and Kazakhstan.

Peattie was nominated by BP — five of TNK-BP’s 10 directors are nominated by AAR — and he replaces James Dupree, who has moved from his responsibilities for BP’s Russian business to another role in the company. Peattie joined BP in 1979 as a petroleum engineer and has since moved through a series of commercial and leadership roles in Exploration and Production, Chemicals and Investor Relations.

—Sarah Hurst