Interview with Loren C. Steffy

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to provide an interview with Loren C. Steffy, business columnist for the Houston Chronicle. Loren has been recognized by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, and the Associated Press Managing Editors, and has recently published Drowning in Oil: BP and the Reckless Pursuit of Profit.Design/methodology/approachThis briefing is prepared by an independent interviewer.FindingsLoren's recent publication: Drowning in Oil: BP and the Reckless Pursuit of Profit, provides an in‐depth examination of how a lack of corporate responsibility and government oversight led to the biggest offshore oil spill in US history, explaining that that the Deepwater Horizon disaster was only part of a larger pattern of cost‐cutting, image‐making, and winner‐take‐all corporate culture that compromised safety across BP's operations for years.Practical implicationsThe paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.Social implicationsThe paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that can have a broader social impact.Originality/valueThere is a lesson for all companies in the case of the Deepwater Horizon disaster: vigilance matters. When companies have complex and potentially dangerous operations, they cannot afford to get complacent. Years of safe operations does not mean you are not moments away from disaster. Human error is always a factor, but companies need processes that account for it.