Meg O'Neill

Meg O'Neill was raised in Boulder, Colorado. Her father worked as an engineer, initially at Bell Labs and later in start-ups, which sparked her interest in math and science. She attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she initially studied chemical engineering but later shifted her focus to ocean engineering, ultimately earning degrees in both fields. Her passion for the international aspects of the petroleum industry was influenced by an exchange year she spent in Finland. == Early career and ExxonMobil ==

O'Neill began her career at ExxonMobil, working in a variety of technical, operational, and leadership roles across multiple countries. She began her career with ExxonMobil in Houston, Texas, where she worked on offshore oil fields modelling for four years. Following this, she transitioned to reservoir engineering in New Orleans. O'Neill continued in her advisory capacity under Woods. == Woodside Energy ==

Joining Woodside and early challenges O'Neill joined Woodside Petroleum in May 2018 as Chief Operating Officer after her tenure at ExxonMobil. She was recruited by Peter Coleman, a former ExxonMobil colleague and then CEO of Woodside Petroleum. O'Neill is one of only three women leading an ASX20 company and the first woman to lead a Big Oil supermajor. One of her first significant challenges was the negotiation of a merger with BHP's petroleum business, which would double Woodside's size. In 2022, the $63 billion merger was successfully completed. It placed Woodside among the top ten independent oil and gas companies globally and making Woodside the largest energy company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. Under her leadership, the company underwent a rebranding, changing its name from Woodside Petroleum to Woodside Energy. This change was positioned as part of a commitment to the energy transition, alongside ambitious sustainability targets, including a pledge to invest $5 billion in new energy products and lower-carbon services by 2030 and a non-binding commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. O'Neill's tenure has faced scrutiny from environmental activists and shareholder groups, with criticisms regarding the pace and sincerity of Woodside's energy transition efforts. While she advocates for the role of gas in the energy mix, her initiatives have raised concerns about potential greenwashing, with some stakeholders questioning the genuine commitment to sustainability amid ongoing fossil fuel operations. ==BP==

She became chief executive officer (CEO) of BP in April 2026. == Leadership in industry associations ==

The Australian Energy Producers (AEP) serves as the lobbying organisation for Australia's oil and gas industry. In November 2022, AEP elected O’Neill as Chair during its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Perth. She has been a member of the AEP Board since 2019. == Personal life ==

O'Neill is a gay woman. She moved to Perth, Australia in 2018 to become Woodside's CEO where she now lives with her wife, Vicky Hayes, and teenage daughter. An avid sports participant in her youth, O'Neill now enjoys netball and golf and is involved in Perth’s arts scene, including serving on the board of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. She is a current member of Chief Executive Women and University of Western Australia Business School. == References ==