As a burgeoning civil engineer, a young Dick Olver’s initial response to being offered a job at BP was to turn it down.
But he thought again and accepted. It was lucky for him, and lucky for BP, that he did. Over 30 years later he had risen to be deputy CEO.
Along the way Dick had crossed many bridges – some over very troubled waters. His versatile and fascinating career covered the many varied aspects of BP’s global oil and gas activities.
On leaving BP, his business interests widened, and he became Chairman of BAE Systems at just the time a new hand was required to see the company through to the next delicate stages of development – salvaging its reputation and its emergence as one of the biggest defence companies in the world. Never one to stand still, his business and philanthropic activities have continued apace with new ventures – particularly guiding new companies.
Dick’s great skill of getting the very best out of people and teams comes through with the fascinating details in this compelling autobiography.
O autorze
Sir Richard Olver (universally known as Dick) was born in Woodford Green just outside London in 1947. He graduated from City University with a First Class Honours degree in Civil Engineering. After a brief period working in the government’s construction unit building roads and bridges, he moved to BP and over thirty years later he was appointed deputy CEO. Next, he moved to the defence industry to become Chairman of BAE Systems from 2004 to 2014. Dick has also held a number of board and advisory roles with companies such as Reuters and HSBC, as well as being on Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s Business Council for Britain and Prime Minister David Cameron’s Business Advisory Group. Dick was knighted in 2013 for services to business and his contribution to UK corporate governance. He is married with two daughters and spends a lot of time in the Devon and the west country where he has strong Olver family roots.