Meg O’Neill: the ‘hard-nosed’ boss hired to be the new head of BP

The 55-year-old from Boulder, Colorado, is the first female head of a major oil company

The surprise appointment of BP's third chief executive in a tumultuous five years reflects the embattled fossil fuel producer's need for profound change. The hiring of Meg O'Neill appears to offer exactly that.

The 55-year-old from Boulder, Colorado, is the first female head of a major oil company, and the first outsider" to be hired to a position usually reserved for company veterans. She joins from the Australian oil and gas company Woodside, where she took up her first chief executive role only four years ago.