Meg O’Neill

Meg O'Neill assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of BP plc on April 1, 2026, becoming the first female CEO of an oil major and the first outside chief executive in BP's more than century-long history. O'Neill was raised in Boulder, Colorado, and attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she earned degrees in both chemical engineering and ocean engineering.

Since her appointment as CEO of Woodside Energy in 2021, O'Neill grew Woodside into the largest energy company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. She oversaw the transformative acquisition of BHP Petroleum International, creating a geographically diverse business with a portfolio of high-quality oil and gas assets. She made the call to merge Woodside with BHP Group's petroleum arm to create a top-10 independent oil and gas company valued at $40 billion, and doubled Woodside's output while expanding into the US market through a major LNG project in Louisiana.

Career history

• Chief Executive Officer, BP plc (April 2026–present)
• Chief Executive Officer, Woodside Energy (2021–2026)
• Vice President, Africa for ExxonMobil Development Company (2017–2018)
• Vice President, Asia Pacific for ExxonMobil Production Company (2014–2015)
• Managing Director, ExxonMobil and Esso companies in Norway (2012–2014)

What Meg O'Neill could bring to Chief Executive Officer at BP plc: O'Neill has earned a reputation as a bold decision maker, with some outlets dubbing her 'Meg the Merciless', and she built a reputation for operational rigor during her five years as CEO of Woodside, demonstrating capital discipline and large-scale project execution. Her international operational background across Africa, Asia-Pacific, North America, and Australia, combined with her experience navigating complex stakeholder negotiations and successful large-scale M&A, positions her to drive the disciplined capital allocation and strategic focus that BP's board identified as essential for the company's next phase of growth.