Beleaguered oil major BP has vowed to repair its damaged reputation with the appointment of the first ever American chief executive. 

New chief executive Robert Dudley says he will put the company back on 'the road to recovery', after it posted record quarterly losses as a result of the catastrophic Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Current embattled BP chief executive Tony Hayward says he will step down on 1 October, paving the way for Dudley to take to the helm.

The appointment of Dudley, the man at the forefront of BP's clean-up operations, is viewed as a measure to appease the US public, after Hayward was widely criticised for his handling of the crisis and a series of insensitive quips such as 'I just want my life back'.

Dudley, who originally hails from Mississippi and joined BP in 1999, will be based in London but has reassured his US audience his new job title will not affect his commitment.

'In this change of roles, I particularly want the people of the Gulf Coast to know that my commitment to remediation and restitution in the region is not lessened. I gave a promise to make it right and I will keep that promise,' he says.

While he said he did not undermine the daunting task that lies ahead, he noted that BP remained 'financially robust' and houses 'enviable' assets.

Peter Hitchens, analyst at Panmure Gordon, comments: 'It's basically a kitchen sink job and we've got the way forward.

'[It's] taken all the charges at once and we're seeing the first way forward - how [it's] going to deal with the balance sheet - which is the key thing.

'I think it's the board trying to wipe the slate clean.'