BP Appoints Meg O'Neill as CEO
BP has declared that the bp Board has named Meg O’Neill as the next chief executive officer (“CEO”) of bp, starting on 1 April 2026. Murray Auchincloss will resign from his role as CEO and Board director, effective Thursday, December 18.
Carol Howle, who is presently the executive vice president of supply, trading, and shipping at BP, will act as interim CEO until Meg arrives in the role. Murray will act in an advisory capacity until December 2026 to facilitate a seamless transition.
Meg is presently the CEO of Woodside Energy. Since taking on the role of CEO in 2021, Meg O’Neill has expanded Woodside Energy into the largest energy firm on the Australian Securities Exchange. Among her numerous achievements at Woodside Energy, she managed the significant acquisition of BHP Petroleum International, forming a geographically varied enterprise with a collection of premium oil and gas resources. Prior to joining Woodside Energy in 2018, Meg dedicated 23 years to ExxonMobil in various technical, operational, and leadership roles globally.
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Albert Manifold, Chair of bp says, “We are delighted to welcome Meg O’Neill to the bp team. Her proven track record of driving transformation, growth, and disciplined capital allocation makes her the right leader for bp. Her relentless focus on business improvement and financial discipline gives us high confidence in her ability to shape this great company for its next phase of growth and pursue significant strategic and financial opportunities.
Following a comprehensive succession planning process, the Board believes this transition creates an opportunity to accelerate our strategic vision to become a simpler, leaner, and more profitable company.
Progress has been made in recent years, but increased rigor and diligence are required to make the necessary transformative changes to maximise value for our shareholders.
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Meg O’Neill says, “bp plays a critical role in delivering energy to customers around the world. I am honoured to serve as the company’s next CEO. With an extraordinary portfolio of assets, bp has significant potential to reestablish market leadership and grow shareholder value. I look forward to working with the bp leadership team and colleagues worldwide to accelerate performance, advance safety, drive innovation and sustainability and do our part to meet the world’s energy needs.”
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Murray Auchincloss says, “After more than three decades with bp, now is the right time to hand the reins to a new leader. When Albert became Chair, I expressed my openness to step down were an appropriate leader identified who could accelerate delivery of bp’s strategy. I am confident that bp is now well positioned for significant growth and I look forward to watching the company’s future progress and success under Meg’s leadership.”