Woodside Energy’s Meg O’Neill to replace Murray Auchincloss as BP CEO
British oil giant blood pressure appointed Woodside Energy boss Meg O’Neill has been appointed as the next CEO, replacing Murray Auchincloss less than two years later.
Auchincloss will resign today and Carol Howle, BP’s executive vice president of supply, trading and transportation, will serve as interim CEO until O’Neill takes over on April 1. He will be BP’s fourth CEO in six years.
Auchincloss rose to the senior role from her previous role as chief financial officer in January 2024, after her predecessor, Bernard Looney, left the company for failing to disclose an affair with a colleague.
Looney, who has been in the job since early 2020 when he replaced Bob Dudley, has been trying to transform the oil major into a green energy giant but has faced investor pressure due to the underperformance of shares.
Auchincloss reversed this strategy and focused on the company’s core gas and oil units.
In a statement on Wednesday, Auchincloss said he had told recently appointed President Albert Manifold that he was open to resigning if a “suitable leader” was identified.
Chart showing BP’s share price
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BP, a U.K. oil exploration company founded in 1909 under the name Anglo-Persian Oil Company, underperformed compared to its peers, reporting falling annual profits in both 2023 and 2024.
The share price is up more than 15% year-to-date and 21% in the last five years. The stock finished 0.7% higher on Thursday as investors responded to the leadership announcement.
Shares of Woodside Energy closed 1.3% lower on Wednesday.
