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BP headhunts Woodside chief executive for its future growth
An Australian energy group will search for a permanent chief executive in 2026 after Meg O’Neill was headhunted by BP
London, UK-headquartered BP has announced that Meg O’Neill will be its next chief executive from 1 April 2026 after Murray Auchincloss decided to step down from this position and as director of the board.
In the meantime, BP executive vice president for supply, trading and shipping Carol Howle will be interim chief executive and Mr Auchincloss will serve in an advisory role until December 2026 to ensure a smooth transition.
The UK-based energy major searched in Australia for its future leadership.
Ms O’Neill has been chief executive and managing director of Woodside Energy since 2021. In that role, she oversaw the acquisition of BHP Petroleum International, creating a geographically diverse business for Woodside with a portfolio of oil and gas assets outside of Australia.
Before joining Woodside Energy in 2018, Ms O’Neill spent 23 years at ExxonMobil in technical, operational and leadership positions around the world.
“With an extraordinary portfolio of assets, BP has significant potential to re-establish market leadership and grow shareholder value,” said Ms O’Neill.
“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.”
In response, Woodside has appointed Liz Westcott as acting chief executive, effective 18 December 2025.
She has led Woodside’s Australian operations as executive vice president and chief operating officer for Australia since joining the energy company in June 2023.
This followed her 25-year career at ExxonMobil working in Australia, the UK and Italy.
Ms Westcott has accomplished roles in strategic planning, operations, project management, and safety, technical and commercial leadership.
Woodside chair Richard Goyder said Ms O’Neill leaves the Australian company in a strong position after leading the merger with BHP Petroleum.
“Ms O’Neill set the foundation for Woodside’s transformational growth over recent years, with a growth trajectory which is expected to deliver significant value,” he said.
During Ms O’Neill’s tenure, Woodside has taken the final investment decision on the Scarborough gas development offshore Australia, for the US Louisiana LNG project and started production from the Sangomar oil field offshore Senegal.
With Ms Westcott as acting chief executive, Woodside can continue its search for a permanent replacement in 2026.
“The board’s ongoing focus on chief executive succession planning means Woodside is fortunate to have a number of highly qualified internal candidates as we also assess external talent options to ensure the best possible chief executive appointment,” Mr Goyder said.
“We are well positioned to conclude this process efficiently with the intention of announcing a permanent appointment in the first quarter of 2026.”
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