Byron’s career spanned over 30 years in the international oil and gas sector including Standard Oil of Ohio and subsequently BP p.l.c, where he held management positions in retail marketing, trading, mining, exploration and production, renewables, petrochemicals, and finance. He served as an Executive Director on the Board of BP p.l.c. for thirteen years and was the Chief Financial Officer from 2002 until 2011. He previously served as the Senior Independent Director and Audit Committee Chair at Anglo American plc, and as a Non-Executive Director and Audit Committee Chair at Unilever PLC and Unilever N.V.
Byron has extensive experience across a range of leading international businesses, both at Board level and in senior management positions, particularly in finance and chairing audit committees. He is a participant in the European Audit Committee Leadership Network and a member of the Regulation Group of the Audit Committee Chairs’ Independent Forum. Byron will assume the role of Chair of the IHG Audit Committee in March 2023.
Byron is a Non-Executive Director at Tesco PLC, where he is the Senior Independent Director and Audit Committee Chair, and Standard Chartered PLC, as well as on the Supervisory Board of Akzo Nobel N.V., where he is the Deputy Chairman and Audit Committee Chair.