BP has announced the appointment of Meg O’Neill as its next chief executive officer, with effect from 1 April 2026.
The energy major confirmed that current CEO Murray Auchincloss will step down from his role and from the Board on Thursday, 18 December. He will continue to serve in an advisory capacity until December 2026 to support a smooth transition.
Carol Howle, bp’s current executive vice president, supply, trading & shipping, will take on the role of interim CEO until Meg O’Neill formally joins the company.
Meg O’Neill is currently CEO of Woodside Energy, a role she has held since 2021. During her tenure, Woodside became the largest energy company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
She also oversaw the acquisition of BHP Petroleum International, creating a geographically diverse business with a portfolio of oil and gas assets.
Prior to joining Woodside in 2018, she spent 23 years at ExxonMobil in technical, operational and leadership roles around the world.
Albert Manifold, Chair of bp, said: “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."
Meg O’Neill said: “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.”
Murray Auchincloss said: “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.”