Mirror Review
December 18, 2025
Meg O’Neill, a long-time energy executive and the current CEO of Woodside Energy, has been appointed as BP’s chief executive officer. She will take over on 1 April 2026, becoming the first woman to lead a global energy major of BP’s scale.
The appointment comes as BP replaces its current CEO, Murray Auchincloss, following internal pressure to improve performance, sharpen strategy, and restore investor confidence. Auchincloss will step down in December 2025 and remain in an advisory role until the end of 2026.
Furthermore, Carol Howle, BP’s executive vice president for supply, trading, and shipping, will serve as interim CEO until O’Neill formally assumes the role.
In simple terms, BP is handing the company to a leader known for execution, discipline, and operational control.
Why BP turned to Meg O’Neill now
BP’s board has been clear about its reasoning.
The company wants to become simpler, leaner, and more profitable after years of shifting strategies and uneven results.
Meg O’Neill fits that brief.
As BP Chair Albert Manifold explained, her track record shows consistent focus on business improvement, capital discipline, and large-scale transformation.
This appointment followed a long-term succession planning process rather than a rushed decision, signaling that BP sees this as a foundational reset rather than a short-term fix.
Early life and an education shaped by engineering
Meg O’Neill was raised in Boulder, Colorado, in a household where engineering and problem-solving were part of daily life.
Her father worked at Bell Labs before moving into start-ups, which sparked her interest in math and science early on.
Later on, she attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, initially studying chemical engineering before shifting to ocean engineering.
She ultimately earned degrees in both fields.
An exchange year in Finland exposed her to the international side of the energy business and played a role in shaping her global outlook.
It was this technical grounding that would later define her leadership style.
Building a global career at ExxonMobil
Meg O’Neill spent 23 years at ExxonMobil, where she built a reputation as a hands-on operator rather than a corporate figurehead.
Her early work included offshore oil field modeling in Houston and reservoir engineering in New Orleans.
In 2003, she took on a leadership role in Indonesia, managing LNG gas fields in Aceh shortly after the region was devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami.
Over the years, she held senior roles across Canada, Norway, and the Asia Pacific region.
She later became an executive advisor to ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson and continued in that role under Darren Woods.
Before leaving ExxonMobil in 2018, she served as Vice President for Africa, overseeing major projects across Angola, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Mozambique.
Joining Woodside Energy and rising quickly
Meg O’Neill joined Woodside Energy in 2018 as Chief Operations Officer. She was recruited to bring operational discipline to a company facing complex partnerships and major growth decisions.
Within a year, she was promoted to Executive Vice President for Development, where she led large-scale projects in Australia and Senegal. By August 2021, she was appointed CEO and Managing Director.
At the time, she became one of only a few women leading an ASX20 company.
Transforming Woodside into a global player
As CEO, Meg O’Neill oversaw the most significant transformation in Woodside’s history.
Her biggest move was the $63 billion acquisition of BHP Petroleum in 2022.
The deal doubled Woodside’s size, diversified its asset base, and turned it into the largest energy company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
Under her leadership:
- Woodside paid around $11 billion in dividends to shareholders since 2022
- The company rebranded from Woodside Petroleum to Woodside Energy
- It committed $5 billion to lower-carbon products and new energy solutions by 2030
- It set a non-binding ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050
These moves positioned Woodside as a cash-generating company while acknowledging the realities of the energy transition.
Handling criticism and public pressure
Meg O’Neill’s tenure at Woodside was not without controversy.
Environmental groups criticized the pace of Woodside’s transition and opposed major gas projects, including the extension of the North West Shelf gas project to 2070. Protests became personal at times, including demonstrations outside her home in Perth.
O’Neill remained publicly firm in her views, often arguing that gas plays a critical role in energy security and that consumer behavior must be part of the emissions debate.
This willingness to face criticism head-on is part of what defines her leadership style.
Industry influence beyond the CEO role
Beyond Woodside, Meg O’Neill holds several influential positions:
- Chair of Australian Energy Producers
- Board member of the American Petroleum Institute
- Director at the Business Council of Australia
- Board member of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra
These roles place her at the intersection of policy, industry advocacy, and public discourse.
What Meg O’Neill brings to BP
Meg O’Neill has described BP as having an extraordinary portfolio of assets with the potential to regain market leadership.
Her stated priorities include safety, performance, innovation, and sustainability, framed as drivers of value rather than trade-offs.
Her appointment comes as BP increases investment in oil and gas while scaling back some green spending.
That context suggests her role will focus on execution, returns, and disciplined transition rather than rapid ideological shifts.
What this appointment means for BP’s future
Meg O’Neill’s move to BP shows a shift across the global energy sector. Boards are increasingly favoring leaders with:
- Deep operational experience
- Proven capital discipline
- Comfort operating under public and political pressure
Her leadership is likely to bring fewer announcements, clearer priorities, and tougher decision-making.
Conclusion
Meg O’Neill’s appointment is historic, but its real significance is far greater since BP is placing its future in the hands of a leader shaped by engineering, global operations, and large-scale transformation.
Now, as Meg O’Neill prepares to take over in 2026, the expectation is not reinvention through rhetoric, but stability through execution.
In an industry under constant scrutiny, that may be exactly what BP needs next.
Maria Isabel Rodrigues
