Meg O'Neill Named First Female CEO of BP to Drive Oil and Gas Profits
Meg O'Neill has been appointed as BP's chief executive, succeeding Murray Auchincloss in April 2026. She will be the first female boss at BP and the first woman to lead one of the world's top five oil companies.
O'Neill currently leads Woodside Energy, which she has headed since 2021. During her tenure, Woodside merged with BHP's petroleum arm, becoming a top-10 global oil and gas producer valued at approximately $40 billion. The merger under her leadership also doubled Woodside's oil and gas production.
The appointment was announced by BP's new chairman, Albert Manifold, who took over in October 2024 amid investor frustration with the pace of BP's turnaround. The company has recently cut billions from planned renewable energy investments to refocus on oil and gas profits.
Murray Auchincloss, appointed after Bernard Looney's departure in 2023 to lead BP’s oil and gas profit push, will continue in an advisory role for up to a year after O'Neill assumes the CEO position. In the interim, BP's executive vice president, Carol Howle, will serve as acting chief executive.
Following the announcement, Woodside shares dropped by almost 3% due to news of O'Neill's departure.
