BP hires Shell executive Emma Lewis to lead downstream unit

What happened: BP appointed Emma Lewis, most recently Shell's executive vice president of chemicals, as head of its downstream business. Richard Harding stays on as interim executive vice president until she starts. Key numbers: Lewis joins BP on January 4, 2027. She joined Shell in 2012 after about 13 years at ExxonMobil. Why it matters: The hire places a senior chemicals executive in charge of BP's refining and fuels operations as CEO Meg O'Neill works to strengthen them. It comes as Shell holds talks on selling its chemical assets. Market: +3.6% today ($483.90), +116.5% YTD, 1.6x vol — as of 10:45 UTC Verified: Q3_2026 (Nov 3) EPS $2.09 vs $1.94 est, +7.7% beat; next print ~Feb 2

BP appointed Emma Lewis, most recently Shell's executive vice president of chemicals, as head of its downstream business. Richard Harding stays on as interim executive vice president until she starts.

The hire places a senior chemicals executive in charge of BP's refining and fuels operations as CEO Meg O'Neill works to strengthen them. It comes as Shell holds talks on selling its chemical assets. Market: +3.6% today ($483.90), +116.5% YTD, 1.6x vol — as of 10:45 UTC Verified: Q3_2026 (Nov 3) EPS $2.09 vs $1.94 est, +7.7% beat; next print ~Feb 2