Carl-Henric Svanberg brings to BP a salesman’s skill and one of the best address books of any chief executive.

The departing chief executive of Ericsson has built an array of contacts, helped by the fact that the group’s telecommunications networks are used in 175 countries. His contacts also include prime ministers and presidents, given that telecoms is a strategic industry with implications for national security. Coupled with his consummate charm, it will make him a heavyweight figure at the head of BP.