Woodside Petroleum, the nation’s largest oil and gas producer, has appointed internal candidate Meg O’Neill as its acting chief executive as the board’s search for the next CEO continues.

The announcement on Tuesday evening comes amid weeks of speculation about who will be selected to replace long-time CEO Peter Coleman after more than a decade at the helm of the $23 billion energy giant.

Earlier this week, Santos chief Kevin Gallagher, considered in the industry to be a lead contender for the Woodside top job, signalled his intention to stay at Santos after being offered a $6 million bonus plan to see through the company’s key growth projects at least the end of 2025.

Mr Coleman, who has previously announced his intention to retire, would step down from the board on April 19 and continue to work with Woodside until his retirement on June 3, the company said in a statement.

Ms O’Neill, presently Woodside’s executive vice-president of development and marketing, would be appointed acting CEO from April 20.

Woodside chairman Richard Goyder said Mr Coleman had created a “resilient and future-focused organisation”.

“Throughout his time at the helm of Woodside, Peter has demonstrated a commitment to promoting inclusion and diversity, operational excellence, a safe workplace, prudent capital management and maintenance of a strong balance sheet,” he said.

Mr Goyder described Ms O’Neill as an “extremely capable executive” with extensive experience and track record in the global energy sector.

Ms O’Neill joined Woodside as its chief operations officer in 2018 and is now responsible for its development and marketing activities. She came from ExxonMobil where she held a range of senior leadership roles in operations and developments and national leadership roles in Norway and Canada.

Source: | This article originally belongs to smh.com.au

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