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People

BP plc appointed Meg O’Neill as its next chief executive officer, effective 1 April 2026. Murray Auchincloss stepped down from his position as CEO and director of the Board, as of Thursday, 18 December. Carol Howle, current executive vice president, supply, trading & shipping of bp, will serve as interim CEO until O’Neill joins as CEO. Auchinloss will serve in an advisory role until December 2026 to ensure a smooth transition.

Meg O’Neill currently serves as CEO of Woodside Energy. Since her appointment as CEO in 2021, she has grown Woodside Energy into the largest energy company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, including overseeing the acquisition of BHP Petroleum International. Before joining Woodside Energy in 2018, she spent 23 years at ExxonMobil in technical, operational and leadership positions 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.”

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