Woodside CEO and managing director Meg O’Neill has announced her resignation, having accepted the role of CEO at bp.
The Woodside Board has appointed Liz Westcott as acting CEO, effective immediately.
“A widely respected senior executive with deep global operational leadership, Westcott has led Woodside’s Australian operations as executive vice president and chief operating officer Australia since joining Woodside in June 2023,” the company said in a statement.
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Westcott was previously the chief operating officer at EnergyAustralia, following a 25-year career at ExxonMobil working in Australia, the United Kingdom and Italy. Her career has spanned roles in strategic planning, operations, project management, and safety, technical and commercial leadership.
Woodside chair Richard Goyder congratulated O’Neill on her appointment as bp CEO and thanked her for her significant contributions to Woodside.
The Board’s appointment of Meg as CEO in 2021 set the foundation for Woodside’s transformational growth over recent years. This strong business performance has been translated into approximately $11 billion in dividends paid to shareholders since 2022, and a growth trajectory which is expected to deliver significant value.
“Meg leaves Woodside in a strong position, having led the company through the merger with BHP Petroleum, final investment decision on the Scarborough Energy Project, startup of the Sangomar Project, final investment decision for the Louisiana LNG Project, the Beaumont New Ammonia acquisition, introduction of a number of high quality partners in those projects and continued high performance across Woodside’s global operations portfolio.
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“Liz’s appointment as acting CEO provides strong continuity for our business and its people. She will lead and work with Woodside’s highly capable Executive Leadership Team to continue to execute against Woodside’s strategy to deliver shareholder value through disciplined decision-making and operational excellence.
“Woodside’s priorities for 2026 are clear. Liz and her team will focus on safe and efficient operations, execution of major projects and retaining an unwavering focus on staying the strategic course laid out most recently at Woodside’s November 2025 Capital Markets Day.”
