LONDON - Tony Hayward is expected to become interim chairman of the mining company Glencore Xstrata on Thursday, almost three years after he resigned as chief executive of BP in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
The appointment of Mr. Hayward, currently an independent director at the mining giant, follows the departure of Glencore Xstrata’s chairman, John Bond, who failed to receive enough shareholder support at a investor meeting on Thursday to retain his position.
Mr. Hayward, 55, is expected to be announced as Glencore Xstrata’s interim chairman later on Thursday, according to a person briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
The role marks a significant turnaround for Mr. Hayward, who was widely criticized for his role in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in 2010. Since leaving the British oil company, Mr. Hayward has become the chief executive of Genel Energy, which has been exploring for energy reserves in northern Iraq.
The executive shuffle at the top of Glencore Xstrata is also the latest management change since the commodities giant Glencore International completed its $30 billion all-stock takeover of the mining company Xstrata earlier this month.
As part of the deal, Xstrata’s chief executive, Mick Davis, announced that he was leaving the merged company earlier than had been expected, while a number of his top lieutenants similarly have left the mining giant. Steve Robson, a company director, also announced his resignation on Thursday.
Mr. Bond, 71, a former chief executive and chairman of the British bank HSBC, had said he would step down from his position as Glencore Xstrata chairman as soon as a successor could be found.
Yet on Thursday, Mr. Bond told shareholders that he did not have enough support to continue in his role.
The shake-up comes as Glencore Xstrata’s chief executive, Ivan Glasenberg, has announced plans to reduce costs at the combined mining and commodities company that operates a global trading operations and runs mines around the world.
Glencore Xstrata’s share rose less than 1 percent in trading in London on Thursday.
