BP taps Shell's Emma Lewis to head downstream business

Nov 4 (Reuters) - BP on Wednesday appointed Emma Lewis to lead its downstream business, hiring the senior chemicals executive from rival Shell as CEO Meg O'Neill seeks to strengthen the oil major's refining and fuels business.

• Lewis most recently was executive vice president, chemicals, at Shell, where she led the company’s global chemicals business

• She will join BP on January 4, 2027, and Richard Harding will continue as interim executive vice president of BP's downstream business until she joins

• "Emma has steered our chemicals business through significant change as Shell delivers structural improvements," a Shell spokesperson said

• Lewis joined Shell in 2012 after about 13 years at ExxonMobil

• She joins BP at a time when Shell is deep in discussions on the sale of its chemical assets

• Shell CEO Wael Sawan had said the chemical assets are good, but also that the UK oil major is ​not their natural owner

(Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru and Stephanie Kelly in London; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)