BP Announces Leadership Changes in Supply, Trading & Shipping and People & Culture
On August 1, 2025, BP confirmed two senior appointments and outlined upcoming departures that will reshape its executive team. The moves are part of a broader effort to streamline the company’s organizational model while reinforcing expertise in key operational and cultural areas.
Sam Skerry Takes Charge of Supply, Trading & Shipping
Sam Skerry has been named Executive Vice President (EVP) for Supply, Trading & Shipping. With nearly 30 years of service at BP, Skerry’s career has spanned trading operations in oil, natural gas, and derivatives markets. Most recently she served as Senior Vice President of Mergers & Acquisitions and Business Development, where she led initiatives to simplify BP’s portfolio, strengthen the balance sheet, reduce costs, and support profitable growth.
BP’s Chief Executive Officer Meg O’Neill highlighted Skerry’s commercial acumen, stating:
“Sam is highly regarded for her commercial and strategic insight and her ability to navigate complex, high‑profile business situations.”
The appointment reflects BP’s continued focus on optimizing its global supply chain and trading capabilities amid volatile energy markets.
Sonya Adams Appointed EVP for People & Culture
Sonya Adams will assume the role of EVP for People & Culture. Adams brings more than 25 years of BP experience, having held senior leadership positions across Asia Pacific, Europe, and the UK in areas ranging from customers and products to finance and transformation. Most recently she served as Chief of Staff to CEO Meg O’Neill, a role that gave her a deep understanding of the levers that drive business performance.
O’Neill praised Adams’ passion for culture and leadership:
“Sonya developed a deep understanding of the business and the levers that drive performance… She is passionate about the role of culture, leadership, and skills in enabling strategic change and helping BP improve performance.”
Adams’ background positions her to lead BP’s talent strategy, employee engagement, and cultural transformation—areas increasingly recognized as critical to long‑term competitiveness.
Departures of Deputy CEO Carol Howle and EVP Kerry Dryburgh
Alongside the new appointments, BP announced that Deputy Chief Executive Carol Howle will retire after 26 years with the company. Kerry Dryburgh, current EVP of People, Culture and Communications, has decided to leave after 16 years** of service. Both executives are set to depart later in the third quarter of 2025.
O’Neill thanked Howle and Dryburgh for their contributions, noting Howle’s role as interim CEO and then deputy CEO during a critical transition period. In response to Howle’s retirement, BP has decided not to fill the deputy CEO role, instead opting to streamline the leadership structure.
Implications for BP’s Organizational Streamlining
The leadership changes signal BP’s intent to create a more focused executive team. By consolidating responsibilities under the newly appointed EVPs and eliminating the deputy CEO position, the company aims to:
- Accelerate decision‑making in supply, trading, and shipping operations.
- Strengthen people‑centric strategies that support cultural change and skill development.
- Reduce layers of management to improve agility amid shifting market dynamics.
Industry analysts note that such restructurings are common among major energy firms seeking to balance operational efficiency with the need for adaptive leadership during the energy transition.
For further details, see BP’s official press release dated August 1, 2025 (BP Press Release).
