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BP appoints Meg O'Neill as new CEO, Murray Auchincloss steps down
The Star
|December 19, 2025
BP HAS announced the appointment of Meg O'Neill as its next CEO, effective 1 April 2026, marking a major leadership transition at the UK-listed energy major.
The company said current CEO Murray Auchincloss stepped down from his role and from the board on Thursday, 18 December.
Carol Howle, bp’s executive vice president for supply, trading and shipping, will serve as interim CEO until O'Neill formally takes up the role. Auchincloss will remain in an advisory capacity until December 2026 to support a smooth handover.
O'Neill joins bp from Woodside Energy, where she has served as CEO since 2021. During her tenure, Woodside grew into the largest energy company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. She also led the transformational acquisition of BHP Petroleum International, creating a geographically diversified portfolio of oil and gas assets.
Before joining Woodside in 2018, O'Neill spent 23 years at ExxonMobil, holding a range of technical, operational and senior leadership roles across the US, Canada, Indonesia and Norway.
This story is from the December 19, 2025 edition of The Star.
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