bp’s Murray Auchincloss is stepping down from his position as CEO and director of the board, effective Thursday. bp appointed Meg O’Neill (pictured) as its new CEO, effective April 1, the convenience retail and fuel company announced Wednesday evening.
Carol Howle, current executive vice president, supply, trading and shipping of bp, will serve as interim CEO until O'Neill joins as CEO. Auchincloss will serve in an advisory role until December 2026 to ensure a smooth transition, the company said.
O’Neill currently serves as CEO of Woodside Energy, an energy company based in Perth, Western Australia. Since her appointment as CEO in 2021, she has grown Woodside Energy into the largest energy company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, according to Chicago-based bp. She is chair of the Australian oil and gas industry peak body, Australian Energy Producers (AEP), and serves on the boards of the Business Council of Australia and the American Petroleum Institute.
Before joining Woodside Energy in 2018, O’Neill spent 23 years at ExxonMobil in technical, operational and senior leadership roles in Houston, New Orleans, Indonesia, Canada and Norway, as well as regional and global leadership positions.
- bp America Inc. is No. 5 on CSP’s 2025 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by store count.
“bp plays a critical role in delivering energy to customers around the world,” said O’Neill. “I am honored 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.”
The appointment of O’Neill follows a search process overseen by a search committee of the board, assisted by an independent recruitment firm, as part of the board’s long-term succession planning.
“After more than three decades with bp, now is the right time to hand the reins to a new leader,” said Auchincloss. “When Albert became chair, I expressed my openness to step down were an appropriate leader identified who could accelerate delivery of bp’s strategy. I am confident that bp is now well positioned for significant growth and I look forward to watching the company’s future progress and success under Meg’s leadership.”
The move comes after bp announced it was exiting about 10% of its company-owned sites. With roughly 60% already under contract for sale, the convenience-store fuel and retail company is targeting efficiency in core markets, the company said in November.
Also in November, TravelCenters of America, a bp company, named Jason Nordin as CEO. Nordin succeeded Debi Boffa, who resigned from the convenience-store chain in October.
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