Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 8, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 1, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleGeraldine Slattery, BHP’s President Australia and former head of its petroleum arm, is reportedly a contender for Woodside Energy’s next CEO, as the company looks to replace Meg O’Neill, who departs to lead BP in April 2026.
PERTH/MELBOURNE, March 8 (Reuters) - Global miner BHP’s Australia President Geraldine Slattery is among the contenders for the top job at Woodside Energy, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the situation.
Woodside is expected to name a replacement for Meg O’Neill soon, after she unexpectedly left the company in December to lead BP, a role she formally begins in April.
“As has been disclosed, Woodside’s Board intends to announce a permanent CEO appointment in the first quarter of 2026. We do not comment on market speculation,” a Woodside spokeswoman said, when asked whether Slattery had been formally interviewed for the role.
Acting CEO Liz Westcott and two other internal candidates are also in the running for the CEO job, said MST Marquee analyst Saul Kavonic.
BHP declined to comment and Slattery did not respond to a request for comment at the time of writing.
Slattery headed BHP's petroleum division before it was acquired by Woodside.
(Reporting by Helen Clark and Melanie Burton; Editing by Sonali Paul)
BHP's Australia President Geraldine Slattery, acting CEO Liz Westcott, and two other internal candidates are contenders for the top job at Woodside Energy.
Woodside is seeking a new CEO after Meg O’Neill unexpectedly left the company in December to lead BP.
Woodside’s Board intends to announce a permanent CEO appointment in the first quarter of 2026.
Woodside did not comment on market speculation, and Geraldine Slattery did not respond to a request for comment.
Geraldine Slattery was the head of BHP's petroleum division before its acquisition by Woodside.
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