* Sanyal to be replaced by former head of RWE Renewables
* Departure comes 14 months after Sanyal's appointment
(Adds detail)
By Ron Bousso
LONDON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - BP's head of low carbon
and natural gas Dev Sanyal will leave the energy company at the
end of the year, BP said on Tuesday, an unexpected departure at
a time when BP seeks to rapidly grow its renewables business and
shift away from oil.
Sanyal, who joined BP 32 years ago, will be replaced by
Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, who until recently was chief executive
officer of RWE Renewables. She will join BP on March 1, 2022.
Sanyal's departure comes 19 months after Bernard Looney took
over as BP CEO with an ambitious strategy to turn the oil and
gas company into a major renewables and power company.
Sanyal was among three executives shortlisted to succeed
former CEO Bob Dudley along with Looney and former chief
financial officer Brian Gilvary, company sources had previously
told Reuters.
In July 2020, Sanyal was appointed as head of natural gas
and low carbon as part of a major company overhaul. He will hand
over his responsibilities in the fourth quarter of 2021, BP
said.
The British and Indian national oversaw major investments in
recent months, including in U.S. and British offshore wind
projects.
He had previously headed BP's alternative energy business
where he oversaw BP's acquisition of a 43% stake in Lightsource
BP, a major solar company.
Dotzenrath is an electrical engineer with more than 25 years
of senior experience in energy, industry and management
consultancy.
(Reporting by Ron Bousso, editing by Louise Heavens and Jason
Neely)