Gary Admans has been one of the most admired practitioners in the corporate bond market over the past 25 years.
As head of capital markets and liquidity at BP, Admans was, in the words of one banker, “the standout reference point for UK corporate funding”.
Between 2000 and 2025 BP issued $192bn of bonds, making it Europe’s sixth biggest corporate issuer and the world’s largest in the oil and gas sector.
Admans was at the centre of it all. Having joined the capital markets in 1986 at Yamaichi International and gained experience in risk management and derivatives trading at NatWest and Saudi International Bank, he moved to BP in 1996, initially to manage currency risk.
In 2001 he created BP's capital markets team and the following year began funding.
From then until he retired last year, Admans managed a complex and diverse funding programme, mainly in dollars, but spanning euros, sterling and seven other currencies.
Bankers saw him as one of the smartest funding officials, combining deep market knowledge with an incredible ability to remain calm and unflappable in all situations.
That was tested particularly in 2010 when the Deepwater Horizon oil spill put BP on front pages worldwide, and after that, when its credit was tested with huge legal settlements.
Other treasurers turned to him for advice on markets, structures and banks, and one DCM banker said Admans always had the inside scoop on every bond issue by other companies, because he talked to all the banks. He knew hybrid capital inside out, years before BP used the product.
Often nominated for GlobalCapital’s Best Corporate Funding Official Award, Admans won it in 2021.
Admans is much missed in the corporate bond market, but he continues to contribute his expertise as a non-executive director at the UK Debt Management Office and board member at Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing Association.
This Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates Admans' exemplary service to BP and corporate bonds.
