Carl-Henric Svanberg - the chairman who landed in Deepwater

Never mind, critics noted, that the oil giant is routinely embroiled in political rows and often under attack for its environmental or safety record. Even those critics, however, couldn't have predicted the historic environmental disaster that has engulfed BP and threatens to cast its top managers adrift.

The tall and urbane Svanberg is now consulting personally with a public relations adviser from City agency Brunswick. Cheeky observers might question the need for a PR specialist, as the BP chairman has been roundly criticised as "the invisible man" since the 20 April explosion that killed 11 and started the release of more than 140 million gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico.

Svanberg's performance and that of his embattled chief executive Tony Hayward have stoked expectations that neither man is likely to enjoy a long-term future at BP.

The release of tomorrow's second-quarter results from BP could give the company a platform for outlining its future management structure. And although Hayward, now a major US hate figure, is likely to be the first on the chopping block, any early release for Svanberg, who has been in post a scant seven months, would not necessarily signal the Swede's return to his native land.

In a rarely granted interview two months before he took over from outgoing BP chairman Peter Sutherland, Svanberg lamented his high profile in Sweden, where he is feted for reviving the fortunes of technology bellwether Ericsson.

"My picture is always in the newspaper," he said from Ericsson's headquarters in Kista, a few miles north of Stockholm. "It is not because I do many interviews."

Described as more famous in his home country than Sir Richard Branson is in the UK, Svanberg spent six years in charge of Ericsson, which employs more than 82,000 people and generates billions in annual revenues. However, he was little-known outside his home country and the mobile network industry, leaving many surprised by his selection for the BP role.

In that interview last autumn, Svanberg admitted he was also taken aback by the offer to chair BP. "I could see the rationale - both companies are related to core parts of societies and complex technologies - but I had to digest the idea," he said.

The 58-year-old was born in Porjus, a tiny village in Lapland in northern Sweden. He received an MSc in physics from the Linkoping Institute of Technology, followed by a BSc in business administration from Uppsala University. His former wife Agneta, whom he separated from last year after 26 years of marriage, is an associate professor at Uppsala.

Svanberg, an avid outdoorsman, played semi-professional hockey in his youth before taking his first job as a project manager at the Asea engineering group. During his nine years with that company, which is now part of ABB, he undertook assignments in both Africa and Latin America.

He then joined Securitas and led the spin-off to create lock maker Assa Abloy. While there, he earned the moniker of the "gentle conqueror", as he turned Assa into one of the sector's largest players through an acquisition spree that took in 100 firms in five years.

Svanberg was then poached to head Ericsson in 2003 in the wake of the dot-com collapse. The telecoms giant had racked up nearly 5bn in losses in the two years before Svanberg joined, forcing the incoming chief executive to dramatically cut jobs and other costs.

Svanberg is said to have been planning his orderly departure from Ericsson during 2009, and initially joined the board of BP in September of that year before taking over the chairman's role on 1 January. His tenure got off to an uncertain start as BP announced weaker-than-expected fourth quarter figures in early February, but far bigger trouble was looming.

In the days after the 20 April explosion that ruptured the Macondo well, Svanberg was in Thailand on his yacht with partner Louise Julian, whom he began seeing in the wake of his marital breakdown last year. His decision finally to visit BP's disaster headquarters in Houston on the way back from his holiday - accompanied by Julian - was regarded by many as insensitive.

Little was seen of the BP chairman thereafter, prompting widespread criticism of Svanberg's failure to take hold of the situation despite his 750,000 annual salary. He re-entered the public spotlight last month when he met US president Barack Obama to agree the structure of a clean-up fund, but subsequently drew public ire by referring to the victims of the disaster as "small people".

His defenders pointed out that it was, most likely, a mistake in translation from Svanberg's native tongue. Nevertheless, it is generally agreed that he has failed to cover himself in glory as events in the Gulf of Mexico have unfolded.

The issue of Svanberg's and Hayward's potential departures has divided opinion in the City. On the one hand, it is argued that Svanberg only recently joined the company, and is not tainted by a long association with the cost-cutting programmes that Hayward used to boost BP's performance, but which may have also played a hand in the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

On the other hand, some say it would make more sense to bring in a new chairman who could then preside over the appointment of any successor to Hayward.

However it plays out, there is no doubt that BP will fail to be the pinnacle of a successful career that Svanberg had hoped for. If he is ousted in a bid to quell the fury against BP, he may well think twice his next move in his quest for an easy ride.

Background

Carl-Henric Svanberg was born on 29 May, 1952, in the small village of Porjus inside the Arctic circle. His family moved frequently throughout his childhood to follow the work of his father, the chief accountant for hydro-electric specialist Vattenfall.

Keen on hockey from an early age, he played at semi-professional level during his youth. He remains a keen fan and is on the board of Djurgardens IF hockey team.

His year-round tan is kept topped up with regular trips on his 24-metre yacht. He says sailing is "a good way to clean your brain".

He has three children with his ex-wife Agneta. His partner, Louise Julian, was named Sweden's most powerful businesswoman in 2004.