Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill has announced the executive team to lead the company following the completion of Woodside’s proposed merger with BHP’s petroleum business, targeted for the second quarter of 2022.

Leadership positions will be based in Perth and Houston, reflecting the global nature of the combined portfolio. Ms O’Neill said the nominated leadership team has the capabilities, experiences and diverse perspectives to deliver long-term success for the merged company.

“The merged business is expected to have the scale and cash flow to create value for shareholders, deliver growth and thrive through the global energy transition, enabled by a leadership team that brings together the very best of our two organisations.

The Woodside Board and I would like to thank the current Woodside executive team for their exemplary leadership during this transformational time for our business and extend our congratulations to all those nominated for executive leadership roles in the proposed merged company,” she said.

Nominations are as follows:

Finance: On 14 December 2021 Graham Tiver was announced as Woodside’s Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President (EVP), based in Perth. Mr Tiver joined Woodside on 1 February 2022. During his 28-year career with BHP and WMC Resources, Mr Tiver held significant financial, commercial and leadership roles across a range of business sectors, including minerals and oil and gas. He has extensive international experience, having worked in North and South America as well as a variety of roles around Australia.

Australian Operations: Fiona Hick has been nominated to lead Australian Operations, based in Perth. Ms Hick joined Woodside in 2001 and has been Woodside’s EVP of Operations since 2019. She has held positions at Woodside including Vice President (VP) Health, Safety, Environment and Quality, and VP Strategy, Planning and Analysis. She is also the President of the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia.

International Operations: Shiva McMahon has been nominated to lead International Operations, based in Houston. Ms McMahon is currently General Manager of Australia Production Unit at BHP Petroleum. She previously held the role of BHP Petroleum’s VP Finance. Ms McMahon has 25 years of industry experience. Before joining BHP, she held roles at BP including Chief Financial Officer for Castrol and Head of the Upstream Executive Office.

New Energy: Shaun Gregory has been nominated to lead New Energy, based in Perth. Mr Gregory has over 25 years of industry experience. He joined Woodside in 1995 and currently holds the role of EVP Sustainability and Chief Technology Officer, overseeing advancements in LNG, data science, artificial intelligence and digital transformation. Mr Gregory has previously held a range of roles at Woodside across sustainability and exploration.

Marketing and Trading: Mark Abbotsford has been nominated to lead Marketing and Trading, based in Perth. Mr Abbotsford joined Woodside in 2002, and has 20 years of commercial, marketing, trading and merger and acquisition experience. He is currently Woodside’s VP Marketing, Trading and Shipping. Previous roles at Woodside include Group Financial Controller and Executive Adviser to the CEO.

Exploration and Development: Andy Drummond has been nominated to lead Exploration and Development, based in Houston. Mr Drummond is currently VP of Sustainability and Innovation for BHP Petroleum, overseeing Environment, Social and Governance; Health, Safety and Environment and innovation activities. He joined BHP Petroleum in 2013 and has held roles including VP Business Development. Prior to joining BHP, Mr Drummond spent 15 years with Marathon Oil Corporation, performing a broad range of international technical and operational assignments.

Projects: Matthew Ridolfi has been nominated to lead Projects, based in Houston. Mr Ridolfi joined BHP in 1991 and is currently the VP of Major Developments with accountability for global major developments and all operated well and seismic delivery activities. He has 30 years of international experience in the petroleum business including Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Previous roles at BHP include VP Projects, VP Health, Safety, Environment and Community, and the Joint Interest Unit Manager Bass Strait.

Corporate Services: Julie Fallon has been nominated to lead Corporate Services, based in Perth. Ms Fallon joined Woodside in 1998 and is currently Acting Senior Vice President (SVP) Corporate and Legal. She has 29 years of industry experience and previous Woodside roles include SVP Engineering, SVP Pluto Business Unit and SVP Internal Audit. Prior to joining Woodside, Ms Fallon worked as an engineer at Shell Refining Australia.

Strategy and Climate: Tony Cudmore has been nominated to lead Strategy and Climate, based in Perth. Mr Cudmore is currently Group Sustainability and Public Policy Officer for BHP Group. He joined BHP in 2014 and has held roles including Chief Public Affairs Officer and President Corporate Affairs. Mr Cudmore serves as a Director of the BHP Foundation and has led BHP’s work in climate and sustainability. Before joining BHP, Mr Cudmore worked with ExxonMobil in Australia and the United States of America.

Merger Integration: Daniel Kalms is currently SVP Merger Integration Planning at Woodside, and he has been nominated to lead Merger Integration activities after completion of the proposed merger, based in Perth. Mr Kalms joined Woodside in 2001 and has 20 years of industry experience. He was previously Woodside’s SVP Corporate and Legal, and SVP Development Planning. Mr Kalms also held the role of Pluto Plant Manager, based in Karratha, and oversaw the start-up of the Pluto LNG facility.

Technical Services: The nominee who will lead Technical Services will be subject to a future announcement.

Other than Mr Tiver and Mr Kalms, all of the new nominees will take their nominated roles only if and when completion of the proposed merger occurs. 

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