BP vs Visa: Founders, CEOs and History
BP was founded in 1909 by William Knox D'Arcy, Charles Greenway and is led by Meg O'Neill. Visa was founded in 1958 by Dee Hock and is led by Ryan McInerney.
Company facts
Founders
BP
William Knox D'Arcy
William Knox D'Arcy (1849-1917) financed the search that created BP. In 1901 he obtained a 60-year concession from the Shah of Persia to explore for and produce oil across about three-quarters of the country, paying £20,000 in cash, £20,000 in shares and 16% o…
Charles Greenway
Charles Greenway (1857-1934) was not among the 1909 incorporators but became the executive who turned Anglo-Persian into a working oil company.
Visa
Dee Hock
Dee Hock (1929-2022) was the founding CEO of National BankAmericard Inc., the bank-owned company that took over the BankAmericard licensing system from Bank of America in 1970 and adopted the Visa name in 1976.
CEOs and their tenures
BP
- Sir John Browne1995–2007
Chief Executive Officer (former)
John Browne (later Lord Browne of Madingley) turned BP into a global supermajor through the acquisitions of Amoco (1998), ARCO (2000) and Burmah Castrol (2000).
Source - Tony Hayward2007–2010
Chief Executive Officer (former)
Tony Hayward, a geologist who joined BP in 1982 and ran its exploration and production business, succeeded John Browne in May 2007 and promised to fix BP's safety culture after Texas City.
Source - Bob Dudley2010–2020
Chief Executive Officer (former)
Bob Dudley, an American who began his career at Amoco and previously ran the TNK-BP joint venture in Russia, was BP's first American CEO, serving from October 2010 to February 2020.
Source - Bernard Looney2020–2023
Chief Executive Officer (former)
Bernard Looney's three-and-a-half-year tenure as CEO was defined by the most ambitious energy transition strategy ever articulated by a major oil company and ended in its most dramatic leadership dismissal.
Source - Murray Auchincloss2024–2025
Chief Executive Officer (former)
Murray Auchincloss, a Canadian who joined Amoco in 1992 and became BP's CFO in 2020, was interim CEO after Bernard Looney's September 2023 exit and permanent CEO from January 2024.
Source - Carol Howle2025–2026
Interim Chief Executive Officer (former)
Carol Howle, BP's executive vice president for supply, trading and shipping, served as interim CEO from December 2025, when Murray Auchincloss stepped down, until Meg O'Neill joined on April 1, 2026.
Source - Meg O'Neill2026–present
Chief Executive Officer
Meg O'Neill, an American engineer who spent more than two decades at ExxonMobil and ran Australia's Woodside Energy from 2021, became BP's chief executive on April 1, 2026, the first woman to lead the company.
Source
Visa
- Alfred F. Kelly Jr.2016–2023
Chief Executive Officer
Serving as CEO from 2016 to 2023, he heavily modernized the massive legacy network, aggressively integrating fintechs and preparing the network to process highly complex cryptocurrency transactions.
Source - Ryan McInerney2023–present
Chief Executive Officer
McInerney joined Visa in 2013 as president after senior roles at JPMorgan Chase and became chief executive on February 1, 2023, succeeding Alfred F. Kelly Jr.
Source
Timeline: BP and Visa side by side
1901BP
D'Arcy Persian Concession
William Knox D'Arcy obtains a 60-year oil concession from the Shah of Persia covering about 480,000 square miles, roughly three-quarters of the country, in exchange for £20,000 in cash, £20,000 in shares and 16% of annual profits.
1908BP
Discovery of Oil at Masjid-i-Suleiman
After seven years of expensive and largely unsuccessful drilling, field manager George Reynolds strikes oil at Masjid-i-Suleiman in south-west Persia on May 26, 1908. It is the first commercial oil discovery in the Middle East.
1909BP
Anglo-Persian Oil Company Incorporated
The Anglo-Persian Oil Company is formally incorporated in April 1909, with William Knox D'Arcy and the Burmah Oil Company as principal backers.
1914BP
British Government Acquires 51% Stake
At the urging of Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, the British government pays ~$2.9 million (£2.2 million) for a 51% stake in Anglo-Persian and signs a long-term fuel-oil supply contract for the Royal Navy, which is converting its fleet from coa…
1954BP
Renamed British Petroleum
Following the 1953 resolution of the Iranian nationalization crisis and the Shah's restoration to power, the company renames itself British Petroleum Company.
1958Visa
BankAmericard launched
Bank of America launched BankAmericard, the direct predecessor to Visa.
1970BP
North Sea Forties Field Discovery
BP discovers the Forties field in the UK North Sea, one of the largest oil fields ever found in British waters. Together with Alaska's Prudhoe Bay, it gives BP politically secure production just as Middle Eastern governments take control of their oil.
1976Visa
Visa name adopted
The network adopted the Visa name to support international acceptance and brand consistency.
1987BP
UK Government Privatization Complete
The Thatcher government completes the privatization of its remaining 31.5% stake in BP through a global share offering timed for October 1987 weeks before the global stock market crash known as Black Monday disrupted the sale and left underwriters with unsold…
1998BP
Merger with Amoco Corporation
BP merges with Chicago-based Amoco Corporation in a deal valued at approximately $48.2 billion the largest industrial merger in history at the time.
2000BP
Beyond Petroleum Rebrand
Under then-CEO Sir John Browne, BP launches the 'Beyond Petroleum' rebranding campaign, introducing the sunflower logo still in use today and publicly positioning the company as an energy company committed to addressing climate change.
2008Visa
Visa IPO
Visa became a public company, changing the economics from a bank association structure to a shareholder-owned company.
2010BP
Deepwater Horizon Disaster
The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, operating on the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico under contract to BP, suffers a catastrophic blowout on April 20, 2010, killing 11 workers and triggering the largest marine oil spill in US history approximately 4.9 milli…
2016Visa
Alfred F. Kelly Jr. becomes CEO
Alfred F. Kelly Jr. became CEO of Visa in 2016. Chief executive of Visa from December 2016 to January 2023, when Ryan McInerney succeeded him; Kelly then served as executive chairman.
2020BP
Net-Zero Commitment and Dividend Cut
Under new CEO Bernard Looney, BP sets a net-zero ambition for 2050 and, in August 2020, pledges to cut oil and gas production by 40% by 2030 and raise low-carbon investment to about $5 billion a year.
2020Visa
Acquired Plaid (abandoned)
Visa acquired Plaid (abandoned) for $5.3 billion. Visa agreed in January 2020 to buy US data-connectivity fintech Plaid for USD 5.3 billion.
2022Visa
Tink acquisition
Visa completed its purchase of Stockholm-based open banking platform Tink in March 2022.
2023Visa
Ryan McInerney becomes CEO
Ryan McInerney became Visa's CEO after serving as president.
2024BP
Auchincloss Confirmed as CEO
Murray Auchincloss, BP's CFO since 2020 and interim chief since Bernard Looney's September 2023 exit, is confirmed as permanent CEO in January 2024.
2025BP
Strategy Reset and Bumerangue Discovery
In February 2025 BP cuts planned transition investment to $1.5-2 billion a year, raises upstream spending to about $10 billion a year and targets $20 billion of divestments and $14-18 billion of net debt by 2027.
2025BP
CEO Change and Castrol Sale Agreed
On December 17, 2025 BP says Murray Auchincloss will step down and names Woodside Energy CEO Meg O'Neill as his successor from April 2026, with Carol Howle as interim CEO.
2025Visa
Revenue reaches $40.0B
Visa reported $40.0 billion in fiscal 2025 net revenue.
2026BP
O'Neill Takes Over and Simplifies BP
Meg O'Neill becomes CEO on April 1, 2026. The board removes chair Albert Manifold on May 26 over governance and conduct concerns and names Ian Tyler interim chair, confirming him as permanent chair on September 2.
Acquisitions
BP
- TravelCenters of America2023$1.3B
- Archaea Energy2022$4.1B
- Lightsource Renewable Energy (43% stake, later 100%)2017$200M
- ARCO (Atlantic Richfield Company)2000$27B
- Castrol Limited2000$4.7B
- Amoco Corporation1998$48.2B
Questions about BP vs Visa
Who is the CEO of BP plc and Visa Inc.?
BP plc is led by Meg O'Neill and Visa Inc. is led by Ryan McInerney. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was BP plc founded vs Visa Inc.?
BP plc was founded in 1909 — 49 years before Visa Inc., which was founded in 1958. BP plc's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Visa Inc..
How many employees does BP plc have compared to Visa Inc.?
BP plc employs approximately 93,700 people, while Visa Inc. employs approximately 34,100. BP plc has the larger workforce at 93,700 employees, compared to Visa Inc.'s 34,100. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are BP plc and Visa Inc. headquartered?
BP plc is headquartered in United Kingdom and Visa Inc. is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded BP plc and Visa Inc.?
BP plc was founded by William Knox D'Arcy, Charles Greenway. Visa Inc. was founded by Dee Hock.
Which company has a longer operating history — BP plc or Visa Inc.?
BP plc has been operating for approximately 117 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Visa Inc. has been in operation for around 68 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the BP vs Visa overview