The Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) share price is up around 1% after the ASX energy share announced a new CEO.
Woodside is a large oil and LNG producer with projects around Australia, Africa and North America.
New Woodside CEO
The business announced that Elizabath (Liz) Westcott as the new CEO and Managing Director.
Westcott has served as the Woodside acting CEO since the departure of Meg O’Neill in December 2025. She has a proven track record of “outstanding leadership and achievement across more than 30 years in the global energy industry.”
Since joining the company in June 2023, Westcott has led Woodside’s Australian operations, including the Scarborough energy project and Bass Strait operator transition, as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Australia.
Westcott was previously the COO at EnergyAustralia after a 25-year career at ExxonMobil working in Australia, the UK and Italy. Woodside said Westcott has developed “deep industry expertise across a range of areas”.
Westcott’s fixed annual reward is A$2.3 million, including salary, benefits and allowances, statutory minimum superannuation contributions and director fees. The new CEO is also eligible for short-term incentives and long-term incentives.
Management comments
The Woodside Chair Richard Goyder said Westcott was chosen after a “comprehensive recruitment process involving exceptional internal and external candidates”. The appointment reflected the “depth of executive talent at Woodside, the result of considered succession planning overseen by the board”.
Goyder said:
I am delighted with the appointment of Liz as Woodside’s next CEO and Managing Director.
Liz’s proven track record of outstanding strategic leadership and disciplined delivery distinguished her as the Board’s top candidate for this role.
Liz’s extensive industry experience and strategic vision will be invaluable in leading Woodside at this significant moment in its history, as we position the company to meet growing global energy demand and deliver long-term shareholder value.
The new Woodside CEO Liz Westcott said:
Woodside is a great company with highly talented people and a proud track record of delivery for our customers and stakeholders.
My focus as CEO is on sustainable value creation for Woodside shareholders, operational excellence and disciplined execution of our growth projects.
I look forward to working closely with the Board and Woodside’s strong leadership team to continue building a leading global energy company that delivers long-term value for shareholders, underpinned by a consistent focus on sustainability and high performance.
Final thoughts on the Woodside share price
The company is clearly benefiting from higher energy prices, so I’d be happy if I were a shareholder, though time will tell how long this spike in energy prices is sustained.
After the big jump, I don’t think this a good time to invest in new Woodside shares because it has already gone up. For me, there are other ASX dividend shares I’d rather buy that have more growth potential from where it is today.
