BP has appointed Carol Howle as deputy chief executive officer, effective from 2 April.
She will continue to lead supply, trading and shipping at BP. In her expanded role, she will also take responsibility for the company’s ongoing portfolio review and longer-term strategy development. BP’s strategy and sustainability team will now report to her.
Meg O’Neill, who became chief executive on 1 April, said the company needs clear direction and consistency as it moves ahead. She said Howle will oversee the portfolio review and long-term strategy work beyond BP’s 2027 targets as the company seeks to become simpler, stronger and more valuable for shareholders.
Howle said progress had been made in recent months, but more work remained. She said she and O’Neill share a focus on safe and reliable operations, disciplined capital allocation and strong execution.
Howle has spent 25 years with BP. She was appointed executive vice president for supply, trading and shipping in 2020, and became interim chief executive last December following the departure of Murray Auchinloss.
She is also a non-executive board member of the Royal Navy and chair of the Navy Audit and Risk Assurance Committee. BP said the deputy chief executive officer role is not a BP PLC board position.