BP appoints Woodside’s Meg O’Neill as CEO after Auchincloss’ abrupt exit

Oil and gas major BP said it had appointed Meg O’Neill, the head of Australia’s Woodside Energy, as its CEO effective April 1 after an abrupt exit by Murray Auchincloss. O’Neill will become BP’s first CEO appointed from outside the company in its more than century-long history and the first woman to head any of the world’s top five oil majors.

The second CEO change in just over two years is a sign that the British oil major is seeking a renewed push to improve its business after its shares and earnings have for years lagged behind competitors like Exxon Mobil and Shell.