bp Continues Executive Level Shakeups

bp has announced the appointment of Sam Skerry as its new executive vice president of supply, trading and shipping and Sonya Adams as its executive vice president of people and culture.

Skerry, according to a statement from bp, has almost 30 years of experience at bp, having spent most of her career leading businesses in trading across oil, natural gas and derivatives. Most recently she held the role of SVP of mergers and acquisitions and business development, working to simplify bp’s portfolio with a focus on strengthening the balance sheet, reducing costs and profitable growth across the business.

Adams has more than 25 years of experience with bp and has held a broad range of senior leadership roles across Asia Pacific, Europe and the U.K., spanning customers and products, finance, transformation and, most recently, as chief of staff to the CEO.

Both roles are effective on Aug. 1.

“Sam and Sonya bring significant leadership experience to these roles. Sam is widely respected for her commercial and strategic insight, and for her ability to navigate complex, high‑profile commercial situations,” said Meg O’Neill, CEO. “As chief of staff, Sonya developed a deep understanding of the company and the levers that drive performance. She is passionate about the role of culture, leadership and capability in enabling strategic shifts, accelerating progress and helping bp perform at its best. We are moving firmly towards a simpler, stronger, more valuable bp.”

In addition to the appointments, bp revealed that Carol Howle, deputy CEO, has elected to retire after a 26‑year career with bp.

Howle took over as bp’s Deputy CEO in April of this year. At the same time, Meg O’Neill was named the company’s permanent CEO after joining the organization from Woodside Energy, where she previously served as CEO for roughly five years.

Before then, O’Neill spent 23 years with ExxonMobil in a variety of technical, operational and senior leadership roles in Houston, New Orleans, Indonesia, Canada and Norway, as well as regional and global leadership positions.

After 30 years in the energy industry, O’Neill has a track record of excellence, from her first projects for ExxonMobil, modeling the dynamics of offshore platforms, to driving transformation, growth and disciplined capital allocation across entire businesses.

“As I step into my new role I am committed to providing clear direction and consistency so our company can move forward with confidence,” said O’Neill in April. “To support this, Carol will oversee the ongoing portfolio review and long-term strategy development beyond our 2027 targets. I’m looking forward to working closely with her to deliver a simpler, stronger, more valuable bp to maximize value for our shareholders.”

“bp is a great company. Progress has been made in recent months but there is always more to do,” said Howle at the time. “Meg and I share a commitment to safe and reliable operations, disciplined capital allocation and high-quality delivery – and I look forward to supporting her as she gets started.”