Supported by

Gordon Birrell

EVP, Upstream

bp

Gordon
Gordon

Gordon is the Executive Vice President, Upstream for bp and a member of the bp global leadership team. Gordon is accountable for global oil & gas exploration, development, drilling, reservoir management, major projects and production operations across bp's upstream regions. He is also responsible for allocating upstream growth capital, shaping the long-term portfolio and leading the technical functions that keep safe, reliable operations at the heart of the business. Prior to that, he was bp's Executive Vice President of Production & Operations. Gordon has extensive global leadership experience in the oil and gas industry, having begun his career with bp in the North Sea. Gordon was a former chair of the board and is currently serving as a director and vice chair of the board of Azule Energy - a growing 50-50 independent joint venture between bp and ENI in Sub-Saharan Africa. He was chairman of the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) for two years. Gordon is an engineer by background, with a BSc with honours in electrical and electronic engineering and an MBA. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Outside of work, Gordon is married and has three grown-up sons.

Session Overview
Tuesday, 3 November
12:55
Upstream Plenary Hall A 12:55 - 13:25
Upstream portfolio resilience: designing for political and market stress

This year's geopolitical disruption has reinforced that competitive resources alone do not guarantee competitive portfolios, bringing greater scrutiny to how operators position and strengthen assets across regions, markets and political jurisdictions. Operators are redefining what makes an upstream portfolio resilient, seeking the flexibility to perform across changing political, commercial and market conditions while sustaining long-term value. Competitive portfolios depend on more than resource quality alone, requiring operators to consider basin economics, infrastructure resilience and access to global markets alongside geopolitical realities. For upstream leaders, the challenge is clear. How do you build a portfolio that delivers growth, resilience and flexibility in a global operating environment where political priorities, market conditions and commercial relationships continue to evolve? The choices made today will shape production performance, capital efficiency and competitive positioning across the next generation of upstream portfolios.

Attendee Insights:
Hear how industry leaders are positioning upstream portfolios to strengthen resilience while sustaining long-term competitive advantage.

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