London, 0900, Monday 4 June 2001
Billiton Plc announces the resignation of Mr Mick Davis, Executive Director
Finance, who has accepted the position of Chief Executive at Xstrata AG.  Mr
Davis will continue to see through his responsibilities as part of the
integration process with BHP Limited, and will take up his new position with
Xstrata on 1 October 2001.
Following completion of the BHP Billiton merger, it is proposed that Mr Chip
Goodyear, currently Chief Financial Officer at BHP, will assume
responsibility for both the Development and Finance functions for BHP
Billiton until the appointment of a new, Melbourne-based, Chief Financial
Officer for the new Group.  At that point, Mr Goodyear will relocate to
London as Chief Development Officer for BHP Billiton.
Mr Brian Gilbertson, Chairman and CEO of Billiton, said: "Mick has
contributed greatly to the development of Billiton over the past seven and a
half years.  He played a key role in Billiton's successful IPO and listing
on the London Stock Exchange in July 1997, and in all the major transactions
since then.  I pay special tribute to his role in the recent merger with
BHP.  Mick's contribution to the new Group will continue through the skilled
and motivated team that he has built up in Billiton's Finance division.  On
behalf of Billiton shareholders and his colleagues, I thank Mick for his
contribution to the Company and wish him well in his new position."
Mr Davis said: "These last seven plus years have been replete with
invaluable and rewarding experiences. The Billiton executive team under
Brian Gilbertson has always been visionary, adventurous and creative. I am
especially pleased that our strategy, which we mapped out at the time of the
IPO, has now culminated in the BHP Billiton transaction, creating a company
with an unrivalled platform for shareholder growth. However, I now have an
opportunity to take the leadership role in a smaller company, with the same
vigour of Billiton. As it is smaller, there is more room for growing it -
the job I enjoy most.  I leave an outstanding company and executive team,
and wish them every success in cementing the merger."
ends
Michael Campbell
Corporate Affairs Manager
Billiton
Tel: +27 11 376-3360
Fax: +27 11 376-3362
Mobile: +082 458 2587
Website: http://www.billiton.com