Finance
BP's chief executives since 1990
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 18, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 18, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
BP has undergone significant leadership changes since 1990, with Meg O'Neill set to become CEO in April 2026, following Murray Auchincloss's interim leadership.
Dec 17 (Reuters) - Oil and gas major BP on Wednesday appointed Meg O'Neill, the head of Australia's Woodside Energy, as its CEO effective April 1 after an abrupt exit by Murray Auchincloss.
Below is a timeline from 1990 of chief executives at BP, who have led the British oil major through periods of expansion, crisis and strategic change.
Date Tenure Event
Robert Horton 1990-1992 Horton became chairman and chief executive in March 1990 and left
in 1992.
David Simon 1992–1995 Simon succeeded Horton as chief executive in 1992 and served
until 1995.
John Browne 1995–2007 Browne was appointed chief executive in 1995 and oversaw BP’s
transformation into a global energy major, including the
acquisitions of Amoco and ARCO. He stepped down in 2007.
Tony Hayward 2007–2010 Hayward succeeded Browne in May 2007. His tenure ended after the
2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Bob Dudley 2010–2020 Dudley took over in October 2010, becoming the first American to
lead BP.
Bernard Looney 2020–2023 Looney became chief executive in February 2020, pledging to cut
oil and gas output and shift BP toward low-carbon energy. He
resigned in September 2023.
Murray Auchincloss 2023–2025 Auchincloss was named interim chief executive in September 2023
and confirmed as permanent CEO in January 2024. During his
tenure, BP recommitted to oil and gas production.
Meg O’Neill From April Meg O’Neill is named as next CEO. BP's executive vice president,
1, 2026 Carol Howle, will serve as interim CEO until O'Neill assumes the
position. O'Neill was previously the CEO of Woodside Energy.
(Reporting by Anushree Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Jamie Freed)
Corporate governance refers to the systems, principles, and processes by which a company is directed and controlled. It encompasses the relationships among the stakeholders and the goals for which the corporation is governed.
An acquisition is a corporate action in which one company purchases most or all of another company's shares to gain control of that company. Acquisitions can help companies expand their market reach or diversify their product offerings.
A timeline in business is a graphical representation of a sequence of events, showing the order in which they occurred. It helps stakeholders understand the history and development of a company or project over time.
Low-carbon energy refers to energy sources that produce little or no carbon dioxide emissions during their production or use. This includes renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydroelectric power.
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