Murray Michael Auchincloss (born 1970)[1] is a Canadian business executive who was the chief executive of BP from January 2024 to December 2025.
Murray Auchincloss | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1970 (age 55–56) |
| Citizenship | Canada |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Title | Group CEO, BP |
| Term | January 2024–December 2025 |
| Predecessor | Bernard Looney |
| Successor | Meg O'Neill |
Education
editAuchincloss earned BCom degree in finance from the University of Calgary.[2]
Career
editAuchincloss qualified as a chartered financial analyst at West Virginia University in the United States.[3] He began his career as a tax analyst at Amoco in 1992, prior to its merger with BP in 1998.[4] From July 2020 to September 2023, he was the chief financial officer of BP, succeeding Brian Gilvary, who retired voluntarily.[2]
Auchincloss was a director of Aker BP ASA (but is no longer shown as such). While BP CFO, he was also a member of two CFO groups: a main committee member of The 100 Group and a member of the European Round Table for CFOs.[2][5]
In September 2023, Auchincloss was appointed interim (later made permanent in January 2024) chief executive of BP, following the sudden resignation of Bernard Looney ensuing from a scandal for failing to reveal relationships with colleagues.[6] Auchincloss was also reported by The Times to be in a sexual relationship with a (female) colleague, who purportedly had become pregnant as a result. A spokesperson for BP said that the relationship did not represent a breach of BP’s code of conduct and had been "fully and appropriately disclosed" to the group.[7]
Before his ouster as BP CEO after less than two years, Auchincloss was one of the highest paid executives in the UK. His 2023 pay package stood at £8 million ($10 million).[8] His pay for 2023 included a salary of £1.02 million, a bonus of £1.8 million and share-based rewards worth £4.6 million, as well as other benefits.[9]
On February 26, 2025, Auchincloss announced a strategic shift to scale back its renewable energy investments and prioritize oil and gas production, aiming to increase annual fossil fuel investments by 20 per cent to $10 billion while cutting renewables funding by over $5 billion.[10] This decision, driven by pressure from shareholders like Elliot Management for higher profits, drew sharp criticism from environmental groups. Notably, Global Witness, an environmental advocacy organization, drove a lorry through central London displaying messages condemning BP’s move.[11]
In December 2025, BP's board, led by Albert Manifold as Chairman, fired Auchincloss as CEO and appointed Meg O'Neill, a woman whose personal life and professional credentials celebrate BP's continued commitment to diversity and inclusion.[12]
Personal life
editReferences
edit- ↑ Wilson, Tom (20 January 2024). "Murray Auchincloss: the quiet man taking centre stage at BP". Financial Times. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- 1 2 3 "Murray Auchincloss". BP. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ↑ McCormick, Myles; Smyth, Jamie (17 January 2024). "Murray Auchincloss: BP turns to the continuity candidate". Financial Times. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ↑ Ferman, Mitchell; Gopinath, Swetha; Nair, Dinesh (21 February 2025). "BP's CEO Cut His Teeth on Crisis — Now He Faces the Toughest Test Yet". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ↑ Butler, Eleanor (17 January 2024). "BP appoints new permanent CEO, Murray Auchincloss". Euronews.
- ↑ Lawson, Alex (12 September 2023). "BP boss Bernard Looney resigns after failing to reveal relationships with colleagues". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ↑ Martin, Ben (15 September 2023). "Bernard Looney's replacement at BP also in relationship with colleague". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
- ↑ "BP: New boss Murray Auchincloss gets £8m pay packet in 2023". BBC News. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ↑ Jolly, Jasper (8 March 2024). "BP claws back £1.8m from sacked boss Looney and hands new CEO £8m pay deal". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ↑ Ambrose, Jillian (26 February 2025). "BP to ramp up oil and gas output in major shift away from green goals". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ↑ "BP shuns renewables in return to oil and gas". BBC News. 26 February 2025. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ↑ Ferman, Mitchell; Crowley, Kevin; Liao, Ruth (18 December 2025). "BP's Sudden CEO Swap Is the Shock Investors Wanted to See". Bloomberg News.
- ↑ Bousso, Ron (17 January 2024). "BP's Auchincloss named CEO, reaffirms energy transition plan". Reuters. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ↑ Hurst, Laura; Gopinath, Swetha; Nair, Dinesh (17 January 2024). "BP Names Auchincloss as New CEO After Predecessor's Scandal". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 28 August 2025.