[3] O'Neill began her career at ExxonMobil, working in a variety of technical, operational, and leadership roles across multiple countries.
[4] In 2003, O'Neill was given an engineering leadership role in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she managed the company’s LNG gas fields in Aceh, shortly after the region was devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
[4] After three years in Aceh, O'Neill returned to ExxonMobil’s headquarters in Houston for a global role overseeing reservoir engineers, and later led offshore operations in Canada.
[4] After Norway, she returned to Houston to oversee operations in the Asia Pacific region, gaining her first exposure to Western Australia through Exxon’s stake in the Gorgon LNG plant on Barrow Island.
[4] Shortly after her appointment, O'Neill became deeply involved in complex negotiations between Woodside, BHP, and other major North West Shelf joint venture partners to establish terms for processing gas from undeveloped fields off Western Australia.
[4] O'Neill's tenure has faced scrutiny from environmental activists and shareholder groups, with criticisms regarding the pace and sincerity of Woodside's energy transition efforts.
While she advocates for the role of gas in the energy mix, her initiatives have raised concerns about potential greenwashing, with some stakeholders questioning the genuine commitment to sustainability amid ongoing fossil fuel operations.
[4] An avid sports participant in her youth, O'Neill now enjoys netball and golf and is involved in Perth’s arts scene, including serving on the board of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.