Several execs including BHP’s Geraldine Slattery missing from new look Woodside team following $40bn merger

A string of executives including BHP’s head of petroleum Geraldine Slattery are missing from Woodside’s new-look leadership team following its $40bn deal.

BHP petroleum president Geraldine Slattery is missing from the new-look Woodside executive team set to take charge once the $40bn merger completes.

Woodside Petroleum has named a fresh executive team to lead the combined $40bn company following its merger with BHP Petroleum, with the mining giant’s head of petroleum missing out on the cut.

BHP’s head of petroleum Geraldine Slattery was a notable name missing from the leadership group that will officially take their roles once the giant deal completes by the end of June.

Three of the new 10 executives named are women while the two companies have chosen for now to evenly split the roles, although another appointment remains pending.

Ms Slattery was widely reported to be in the running for the Woodside chief executive’s job but the Perth-based LNG producer instead opted for an internal appointment, promoting Meg O’Neill to the top job.

The Irish executive, who joined BHP In 1994, remains head of BHP Petroleum until the completion of the merger and may still stay with the miner but in a role outside its petroleum division.

For Woodside, notable absences include Tom Ridsdill-Smith, its head of climate and Jacky Connolly, vice president of people and global capability.

Woodside is also poised to make further job cuts as part of an ongoing restructure, with several hundred positions under threat at Woodside’s Perth headquarters as part of a broader three-year plan to cut nearly a third of business costs and become a lower-cost producer.

Woodside said leadership roles would be split between Perth and Houston, with Ms O’eill recently visiting BHP’s Texas base to address staff and work through the process of uniting the two businesses.

Ms O’Neill and Ms Slattery have headed up the steering committee for the integration of the merger.

One industry source also questioned the lack of a mergers and acquisition and business development function within the merged company.

The Woodside executives named to lead divisions are:

– Fiona Hick, Australian Operations, Perth

– Shaun Gregory, New Energy, Perth

– Mark Abbotsford, Marketing & Trading, Perth

– Julie Fallon, Corporate Services, Perth

– Daniel Kalms, Merger Integration, Perth

The BHP executives to take roles in the leadership team are:

– Tony Cudmore, Strategy & Climate, Perth

– Andy Drummond, Exploration & Development, Houston

– Matthew Ridolfi, Projects, Houston

– Shiva McMahon, International Operations, Houston

– Graham Tiver, Finance, Perth

A nominee to lead Technical Services will be announced at a later date.

Ms O’Neill noted that other than Mr Kalms and Mr Tiver, executives will only take up their nominated roles if the merger is completed.

“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,” Ms O’Neill said.

“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.”

Woodside in December asked its top executives to reapply for their jobs as part of its $40bn merger with BHP Petroleum, as a “Hunger Games” battle intensifies to seal a new leadership team.

Originally published as Several execs including BHP’s Geraldine Slattery missing from new look Woodside team following $40bn merger