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BP said on Wednesday that Murray Auchincloss has decided to step down from his position as CEO and director of the board, effective December 18.
Carol Howle, current executive vice president, supply, trading & shipping of BP, will serve as interim CEO until O’Neill joins as CEO on April 1, 2026, according to BP.
Murray will serve in an advisory role until December 2026 to ensure a smooth transition.
O’Neill currently serves as CEO of Australian LNG player Woodside.
Since her appointment as CEO in 2021, O’Neill has grown Woodside into the largest energy company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, BP said.
“Among her many accomplishments at Woodside, she oversaw the transformative acquisition of BHP Petroleum International, creating a geographically diverse business with a portfolio of high-quality oil and gas assets,” BP said.
Before joining Woodside in 2018, 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 reestablish market leadership and grow shareholder value,” O’Neill said.
“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,” O’Neill added.
Woodside appoints Liz Westcott as acting CEO
Woodside said in a separate statement that it has appointed Liz Westcott as acting CEO, effective December 18, following O’Neill’s resignation.
Westcott has led Woodside’s Australian operations as executive vice president and chief operating officer, Australia, since joining the company in June 2023.
She was previously the chief operating officer at Energy Australia, following a 25-year career at ExxonMobil working in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Italy.
Woodside chair Richard Goyder said that O’Neill’ leaves Woodside in a “strong position, having led the company through the merger with BHP Petroleum, final investment decision on the Scarborough energy project, startup of the Sangomar project, final investment decision for the Louisiana LNG project, the Beaumont New Ammonia acquisition, introduction of a number of high-quality partners in those projects and continued high performance across Woodside’s global operations portfolio.”
“Liz’s appointment as acting CEO provides strong continuity for our business and its people,” Goyder said.
“The board’s ongoing focus on CEO 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 CEO appointment,” he said.
“We are well positioned to conclude this process efficiently with the intention of announcing a permanent appointment in the first quarter of 2026,” Goyder added.
