US EditionBP appoints Meg O'Neill as CEO, Auchincloss steps down
Meg O’Neill will become BP’s first female CEO in April 2026, succeeding Murray Auchincloss amid a board-led plan to boost profitability and strategic focus.
- The FTSE 100 energy major named Meg O'Neill, CEO of Woodside Energy, as BP CEO effective April 1, 2026, after Murray Auchincloss's abrupt departure Wednesday.
- A board committee, assisted by an independent recruitment firm, chose Meg O'Neill after a search overseen by the BP board committee as part of long-term succession planning.
- O'Neill's tenure since 2021 reshaped Woodside Energy into the largest ASX-listed energy firm and led the acquisition of BHP Petroleum International, after 23 years at ExxonMobil.
- Until O'Neill arrives, Carol Howle will act as interim CEO while Murray Auchincloss stays as adviser until December 2026, and investors hope for steadier stewardship amid takeover rumours.
- The change adds to a recent pattern of short tenures at BP's top, with Murray Auchincloss serving under two years and Bernard Looney resigning under a cloud, while Meg O'Neill becomes BP's first female CEO, a milestone Albert Manifold welcomed.
145 Articles
145 Articles
BP’s CEO shake-up signals the end of its green energy era
British oil giant BP just announced a new CEO, marking its fourth chief executive shake-up in the last six years alone. The company named Meg O’Neill, who previously led Australia’s top oil and gas company Woodside Energy, to the role. O’Neill will become the first woman to hold the top executive spot at one of the world’s biggest oil companies. She said that she looks forward to working to “accelerate performance” at BP and plans to prioritize…
Appointed head of BP after a career focused on oil and gas, the current Managing Director of Woodside Energy arrives at a turning point for the British "supermajor". In Africa, where the trade-offs between profitability, investor pressure and political stakes are already strong, his first choices will be closely followed.
Meg O'Neill becomes the first woman to lead BP. Her focus is on fossil fuels and LNG as a transition technology. BP reacts to market changes and plans austerity measures.
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