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Woodside Energy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Meg O’Neill Announced as ‘Energy Person of the Year’

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African Energy Chamber

Woodside Energy CEO Meg O’Neill has been recognized by the African Energy Chamber for her unwavering commitment to harnessing Africa’s oil and gas resources for inclusive growth

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, August 12, 2024/APO Group/ — 

The African Energy Chamber (AEC) (www.EnergyChamber.org) – as the voice of Africa’s energy sector – is honored to announce Meg O’Neill, CEO and Managing Director of Woodside Energy, as “Energy Person of the Year.” The award recognizes O’Neill’s nearly three decades of experience in the global oil and gas industry and her unwavering commitment to ensuring a just African energy transition, which has resulted in exceptional project delivery and multi-billion-dollar investments in Africa’s oil and gas resources. 

O’Neill will receive the award at African Energy Week: Invest in African Energy 2024 – the AEC’s annual event and the official meeting place for Africa’s energy industry – taking place in Cape Town on November 4-8. The award is given to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the African energy sector and advocated for a more inclusive industry. O’Neill is the first non-African to receive the award, with previous awardees including the late Namibian President Hage Geingob (2023) and President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the African Export-Import Bank Benedict Oramah (2022).

Initially drawn to the oil and gas industry by her interest in travel, O’Neill launched a 23-year career with ExxonMobil, where she held senior leadership roles in ExxonMobil’s Production Company in Indonesia, Norway and Canada, as well as served as Vice President, Africa for ExxonMobil Development Company, responsible for the company’s major projects in Angola, Nigeria, Tanzania and Mozambique. In May 2018, O’Neill moved to Perth to join Woodside as COO in May 2018 and was appointed CEO and Managing Director in August 2021, owing to her bold vision and proven leadership capabilities. O’Neill holds two degrees in Chemical Engineering and Ocean Engineering and a Master’s in Ocean Systems Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Under O’Neill’s leadership, Woodside Energy achieved a historic milestone with the production of first oil from its Sangomar Field Development earlier this year, ushering in a new era of hydrocarbon sector growth in Senegal as the country’s first offshore oil project. O’Neill expertly led the timely execution of the project’s first phase through a period of unprecedented global challenges and above-ground risk, including the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant market instability. As operator, Woodside worked closely with all contractors to maximize local content benefits, as well as with the government of Senegal in promoting in-country value addition and championing an inclusive oil and gas industry. According to Woodside, the subsea installation of the project’s FPSO vessel was supported from Dakar and logistical supply services were provided by local businesses. 

O’Neill has made Africa a strategic priority and is a true champion of the sector, making good on her promise to double down on investment and elevate the industry to new heights

O’Neill is also responsible for driving Woodside’s expansion across the continent and to Namibia, where the Australian exploration and production company is currently finalizing a farm-in agreement to Petroleum Exploration License 87 in the deepwater Orange Basin. Initial interpretation of 3D seismic data, as well as additional discoveries by Galp in the nearby Mopane Complex, have supported the prospectivity of the acreage and placed Woodside on the precipice of future drilling activity.

Woodside’s commitments come at a time when global investors are shying away from new fossil fuel projects, resulting in stalled projects and a lack of new investment in Africa’s most prospective upstream markets. In sharp contrast, Woodside has advanced multi-billion-dollar deepwater projects and answered Africa’s call for investment in its untapped oil and gas resources, while still outlining a balanced energy transition strategy. In a recent interview, O’Neill stated that industry leaders must “stand for things that matter… There are moments when you will be tested, but acting with integrity and doing what’s right will always serve you and your team well.” The Chamber strongly believes that African energy markets not only need, but deserve this level of courageous, no-holds-barred leadership from IOC heads. 

“Meg O’Neill has been able to lead and define a company that tells African countries, ‘If you have the resources and the enabling environment, then we will commit.’ Senegal sought investment in its offshore hydrocarbon resources, and Woodside answered with a $5-billion deepwater oil project. Namibia established a strong foundation of stable governance and attractive fiscal terms, and Woodside farmed into a highly prospective petroleum play. As the head of a major IOC, O’Neill has made Africa a strategic priority and is a true champion of the sector, making good on her promise to double down on investment and elevate the industry to new heights,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC. 

In addition to leveraging world-class technical capabilities, O’Neill is a strong supporter of social impact projects, with a focus on empowering women in the oil and gas industry. In 2023, the company made nearly $22 million in social contributions globally. Affirming its commitment to gender-based diversity and inclusion, Woodside Energy leads a “STEM in Schools” program to promote STEM subjects to youth and open up the eyes of girls and young women to careers in the energy sector.

On the local content side, O’Neill has mandated that all the company’s projects comprise a robust local content practice of hiring, training and developing African and national capacities. This is clear through the Sangomar project where increased local content expenditure has been the strongest of any oil project on the continent. Local content was a key part of the project as well as directing a lot of money towards the training and development of young people in Senegal.

Additionally, O’Neill ensured the financing of a lot of initiatives in the field of technology, and as such, a lot of people working on Sangomar’s FPSO were Senegalese. This all came from training initiated from the get-go. O’Neill has also spent a lot of money on empowering local vendors and service providers while training and developing Senegalese nationals to lead the Sangomar project. A lot of people were taken to Australia for training and they are now leading the project in Senegal. This is historic for an oil project in the country. O’Neill has essentially created the blueprint for developing an oil project while at the same time increasing local capacity.

In 2023, Former Namibian President Hage Geingob was honored for his bold and instrumental contributions to Namibia’s regulatory environment, which resulted in five major hydrocarbon discoveries in two years and large-scale projects across green hydrogen, mining and infrastructure sectors. In 2022, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the African Export-Import Bank Benedict Oramah was recognized for advocating for a just and inclusive African energy transition, building the investment case for African oil and gas, de-risking transactions and raising access to private capital.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Africa Launches the First Pan-African Pact for Insurance Inclusion

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June 23, 2026

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400 decision-makers gathered in Cotonou to accelerate access to insurance and contribute to doubling insurance penetration by 2040

DAKAR, Senegal, June 23, 2026/APO Group/ –Faced with a major paradox representing nearly 19% of the world’s population while accounting for less than 1% of global insurance premiums African insurance stakeholders are mobilizing.

 

From July 6 to 8, 2026, the Federation of African National Insurance Companies (FANAF) will organize the General Assembly on Insurance for All at the Sofitel Hotel in Cotonou, Benin, a major pan-African gathering dedicated to inclusive insurance.

The event will bring together nearly 400 African decision-makers from governments, regulatory and supervisory authorities, insurance and reinsurance companies, financial institutions, development banks, technical and financial partners, as well as professional organizations from across the continent.

The ambition is clear: to foster a shared vision and concrete commitments aimed at accelerating access to insurance for African populations while strengthening the sector’s contribution to the continent’s economic and social development priorities.

The discussions will culminate in the adoption of the Pan-African Pact for Insurance Inclusion and a 2026–2030 Strategic Action Plan, designed to structure collective action around an ambitious objective: contributing to the doubling of insurance penetration across the FANAF region by 2040.

An Economic, Social and Development Imperative

Within the CIMA zone, insurance penetration remains below 1% of GDP, compared to more than 6% globally.

As a result, millions of households, farmers, entrepreneurs, SMEs and informal sector actors remain deprived of essential protection mechanisms against health, climate, economic and social risks.

For FANAF, this reality now constitutes a major development challenge.

Africa cannot build sustainable growth without strengthening protection mechanisms for its populations, businesses and investments

“Africa cannot build sustainable growth without strengthening protection mechanisms for its populations, businesses and investments. The Cotonou General Assembly must mark the starting point of a new continental ambition for African insurance and its role in the continent’s economic transformation,” said Mamadou Koné, President of FANAF.

Beyond Insurance: A Driver of Continental Transformation

For FANAF, insurance is no longer merely a risk coverage mechanism. It is also a strategic lever for economic resilience, savings mobilization, investment security, SME financing, support for climate transitions and the strengthening of financial inclusion.

Through this General Assembly, FANAF seeks to reposition insurance as a key stakeholder in Africa’s economic, social and financial transformation.

A Pact to Accelerate Action

The conclusions of the General Assembly will lead to the adoption of the Pan-African Pact for Insurance Inclusion, a reference framework intended to mobilize governments, regulators, market players, financial institutions and development partners around shared objectives.

The Pact will be accompanied by a 2026–2030 Strategic Action Plan defining priority intervention areas, coordination mechanisms and monitoring arrangements for the commitments undertaken.

A broad mobilization of public, private and financial partners will support its implementation in order to translate commitments into tangible results for African populations and economies.

Cotonou 2026: Building a Shared Vision

Beyond the insurance sector, the General Assembly aims to create an unprecedented platform for dialogue between governments, regulators, investors, financial institutions, technical partners and market actors in order to identify the levers needed to accelerate insurance inclusion across the continent.

Holding this event in Benin reflects the country’s broader economic and financial transformation momentum and illustrates the collective determination of African stakeholders to develop solutions tailored to the continent’s realities.

Through this initiative, FANAF intends to make Cotonou 2026 a defining moment for the future of African insurance and the starting point of a lasting continental mobilization in favor of insurance inclusion.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Fédération des Sociétés d’Assurances de Droit National Africaines (FANAF).

 

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Flat6Labs and International Finance Corporation (IFC) Launch StartAlgeria, a Capacity-Building Program Designed to Empower the Organizations Progressing Algeria’s Startup Ecosystem

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June 23, 2026

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StartAlgeria comes at a key moment for Algeria’s entrepreneurship landscape, shifting the focus toward improving how the ESOs operate by providing them with international best practices

ALGIERS, Algeria, June 23, 2026/APO Group/ –Flat6Labs (www.Flat6Labs.com) and IFC in collaboration with the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Startups and Micro-Enterprises are launching StartAlgeria, a capacity-building program that puts Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) at the forefront of Algeria’s ecosystem future. The program is designed to equip Algerian ESOs reinforcing pre-seed and seed-stage startups with the expertise, frameworks, and networks needed to contribute to a stronger, more competitive entrepreneurship ecosystem in Algeria and expand into global markets.

 

StartAlgeria comes at a key moment for Algeria’s entrepreneurship landscape, shifting the focus toward improving how the ESOs operate by providing them with international best practices adapted to each organization’s needs, a community-driven approach that focuses on peer learning, and facilitating connections with investors, policymakers, and key stakeholders.

Algeria’s entrepreneurial community is among the most dynamic and vibrant in the region, and the potential is not just real, it is ready to scale

StartAlgeria will pilot a first cohort focusing on incubators in the capital, Algiers. Following a call for application, the selected ESOs will go through a structured program comprising workshops and masterclasses covering key areas such as startup selection, program design and delivery, and investment readiness. In addition to the core program, participating ESOs will benefit from 6months of post-program mentorship, focusing on areas such as fundraising strategy, partnership development, financial sustainability, and program improvement. This sustained engagement’s goal is to provide a lasting impact in how Algerian ESOs operate and what they’re able to offer the startups they champion.

Yehia Houry, CEO of Flat6Labs, shares “Algeria’s startup ecosystem is demonstrating remarkable potential and a rapidly growing level of maturity, driven by an ambitious new generation of founders, increasing institutional support, and a strong national commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. The opportunity today lies in further empowering entrepreneurship support organizations to match this momentum by strengthening their ability to identify and nurture high-potential startups, deliver impactful and results-driven programs, and create stronger connections between entrepreneurs and sources of capital. With the right support structures in place, Algeria is well positioned to become one of the leading innovation hubs in the region.”

“Algeria’s entrepreneurial community is among the most dynamic and vibrant in the region, and the potential is not just real, it is ready to scale. Through StartAlgeria, we are committed to ensuring that the organizations standing behind founders are equipped with the tools, frameworks, and expertise to take them from early ideas to investment-ready ventures. This program is a direct expression of IFC’s long-term confidence in Algeria’s private sector and in the ecosystem’s capacity to produce the next generation of high-impact companies.” underscored Cemile Hacibeyoglu Ceren, WBG Resident Representative in Algeria.

“The launch of StartAlgeria marks an important step in reinforcing Algeria’s startup support ecosystem. By strengthening the capabilities of Entrepreneur Support Organizations, we are investing in the long-term growth, resilience, and international competitiveness of Algerian startups. This initiative reflects our shared ambition to build a dynamic innovation-driven economy and create new opportunities for entrepreneurs across the country,” said H.E Mr. Noureddine Ouadah, Minister of Knowledge Economy, Startups and Micro-Enterprises.

This IFC program is implemented in partnership with the Government of the Netherlands.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Flat6Labs.

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Hong Kong unlocks new opportunities with Central Asia

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June 23, 2026

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HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 June 2026 – Led by Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), John Lee, a high-level delegation visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan (May 31 – June 5) is already paying dividends, forging fresh opportunities to deepen ties between Central Asia, Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland.

The business delegation comprised over 70 representatives from Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises of various sectors.

During the visit, 96 bilateral memoranda of understanding and agreements were reached, including a total of 15 co-operation documents at the government level between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan respectively.

“The examples of agreements and co-operation are just so abundant that they range from the service sector to heavy industries such as mining and infrastructure development,” Mr Lee said. “I think the sky is the limit.”

The multiple outcomes achieved during the trip demonstrate Hong Kong’s role as a functional platform for the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative, as the city actively plays its roles as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” to promote broader and deeper co-operation between the two places and establish a hub-to-hub co-operation model.

“Kazakhstan is an important commercial and logistics hub connecting China and Europe. It is also the place where the Belt and Road Initiative was first proposed, and is Hong Kong’s largest trading partner in Central Asia. There are broad prospects for further co-operation,” Mr Lee said, adding that a lot of B&R projects are also being pursued in Uzbekistan.

“For example, Uzbekistan sits in the heart of the corridor of Asia and Europe, so logistical development, railway development, and also how we can complement and supplement each other in cargo handling will be an area for a very wide range of co-operation.”

The Chief Executive also encouraged companies in Central Asia to leverage Hong Kong’s advantages under the “one country, two systems” principle.

“Under this unique principle, Hong Kong has its own economic, social, legal, legislative and judicial systems. We are the only common law jurisdiction in China. We have our own currency, with no capital or foreign exchange controls. We are, as well, a separate customs territory,” Mr Lee said.

Building on the positive outcomes from the delegation’s mission to Central Asia, Mr Lee welcomed the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Kanat Bozumbayev, to Hong Kong (June 10) and they both attended the Alatau City Investment Round Table (June 11).

Speaking at the event, Mr Lee said Hong Kong could contribute to the future success of Kazakhstan’s innovative, high-tech Alatau City in three concrete ways: as a gateway to global capital; a gateway to the Chinese Mainland and the Greater Bay Area; and as a partner in talent and technology.

“We share a development vision with Alatau City and Kazakhstan,” Mr Lee said, “Today, right here, right now, is a golden opportunity to bring our two economies closer together.”

He looked forward to Hong Kong and Kazakhstan achieving complementary advantages and co-ordinated development across different sectors and welcomed enterprises in Kazakhstan to make good use of Hong Kong’s premier financial and innovation and technology platforms, as well as its world-leading professional services, to explore more business opportunities.

 

 

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