Hayward boosted BP's bottom line, but not safety

Two decades ago, Tony Hayward was a "turtle" _ one of a handful of young high fliers at BP earmarked for great things, named after the cartoon warriors, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Fast-tracked through BP's heavy bureaucracy by the man he would succeed as CEO, John Browne, Hayward took the top job three years ago, promising to focus "like a laser" on safety and change the company's champagne culture. He was supposed to get BP back to basics, and for most of his tenure shareholders were happy with the results.

Then came the rig explosion that set off the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history, and several weeks in which Hayward …