bp has appointed Carol Howle as deputy chief executive officer, effective immediately, the company said on Thursday.
Howle (pictured below) had been serving as interim CEO following Murray Auchincloss’s departure in December. Meg O’Neill started her tenure as CEO Wednesday.
“As I step into my new role I am committed to providing clear direction and consistency so our company can move forward with confidence,” O’Neill said. “To support this, Carol will oversee the ongoing portfolio review and long-term strategy development beyond our 2027 targets. I’m looking forward to working closely with her to deliver a simpler, stronger, more valuable bp to maximize value for our shareholders.”
Howle has been with bp for 25 years. She was appointed executive vice president of supply, trading and shipping in 2020, and she’ll continue to lead that department. In her new role, she’ll also oversee the company’s ongoing portfolio review and strategy development, Chicago-based bp said. bp’s strategy and sustainability team will now report to Howle.
- bp is No. 5 on CSP’s 2026 Top 40 update to the 2025 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count. Watch for the full 2026 Top 202 ranking in June.
“bp is a great company,” Howle said. ‘Progress has been made in recent months but there is always more to do. Meg and I share a commitment to safe and reliable operations, disciplined capital allocation and high-quality delivery—and I look forward to supporting her as she gets started.”
bp is reshaping its retail network and plans to exit about 10% of its company-owned sites, Auchincloss said in November. The company had 1,708 U.S. convenience stores as of Jan. 1, under the brands ampm, Thornton’s and TravelCenters of America.
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