Miklos Salamon Appointed As Executive Director To24 Feb 2003
Release Date: 24/02/2003 08:16:21      Code(s): BIL 
MIKLOS SALAMON APPOINTED AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO BHP BILLITON BOARD            
BHP BILLITON PLC                                                                
BHP Billiton today announced the appointment of Mr Miklos (Mike) Salamon as an  
Executive Director to the BHP Billiton boards, effective immediately.           
Mr Salamon has held a number of senior appointments within BHP Billiton and the 
former Billiton Plc including as an Executive Director of Billiton Plc from July
1997 until the merger with BHP Limited in June 2001. With Billiton, Mr Salamon  
was responsible for nickel, chrome, manganese, stainless steel and titanium.    
With the consummation of the BHP Billiton merger in June 2001, Mr Salamon became
President and CEO Minerals, co-led the team planning integration activities and 
had primary responsibility for delivering the integration of the BHP and        
Billiton organisations. In January 2002, he assumed the roles of President      
Aluminium, Chairman Stainless Steel Materials and Senior Minerals Executive     
Announcing the appointment, BHP Billiton Chairman, Don Argus, said: "The        
appointment of Mike will strengthen the depth and breadth of operational        
experience on the BHP Billiton board. He has wide international business        
experience and is well known to the UK and South African investment community.  
We look forward to the continuing contribution that Mike will make to this world
class organisation."                                                            
Since the merger, the BHP Billiton board has been reduced from 17 directors.    
With the appointment of Mr Salamon the composition will be nine non-executive   
and two executive directors. The board will continue with its regular review and
appraisal process aimed at assessing the appropriate mix of skills, attributes  
and the performance of individual directors.                                    
Biographical background of Mr Salamon attached.                                 
Further information on BHP Billiton can be found on our                         
Internet site: http://www.bhpbilliton.com                                       
Australia                                   United Kingdom                      
Andrew Nairn, Investor Relations            Mark Lidiard, Investor & Media      
Tel: +61 3 9609 3952                        Relations                           
Mobile: +61 408 313 259                     Tel: +44 20 7802 4156  Mobile: +44  
email: Andrew.W.Nairn@bhpbilliton.com       7769 934 942                        
                                            email:                              
                                            Mark.Lidiard@bhpbilliton.com        
Tracey Whitehead, Media Relations           Ariane Gentil, Media Relations      
Tel: +61 3 9609 4202                        Tel: +44 20 7802 4177               
Mobile: +61 419 404 978                     email:                              
email: Tracey.Whitehead@bhpbilliton.com     Ariane.Gentil@bhpbilliton.com       
United States                               South Africa                        
Francis McAllister, Investor Relations      Michael Campbell, Investor & Media  
Tel: +1 713 961 8625  Mobile: +1 713 480    Relations                           
3699                                        Tel: +27 11 376 3360  Mobile: +27   
email:                                      82 458 2587                         
Francis.R.McAllister@bhpbilliton.com        email:                              
                                            Michael.J.Campbell@bhpbilliton.com  
BACKGROUND INFORMATION                                                          
Miklos (Mike) Salamon                                                           
Miklos (Mike) Salamon became an Executive Director of BHP Billiton on 24        
February 2003. Mr Salamon will continue to have responsibilities, offices and   
homes in London, Johannesburg and Melbourne.                                    
Mr Salamon (47), who joined the group in 1985, has been Senior Minerals         
Executive, President of the Aluminium CSG and Chairman of the Stainless Steel   
Materials CSG since January 2002. Prior to that he was President & CEO Minerals.
As President and CEO Minerals Mike was also tasked with leading the Integration 
Team responsible for integrating the BHP and Billiton organisations.            
As Senior Minerals Executive Mike monitors the activities of all of the Minerals
CSGs as well as taking responsibility for the group`s Health, Safety,           
Environment and Community (HSEC), Project Development (PDS), Purchasing and     
Operating Excellence (OE) functions. As President of the Aluminium CSG he has   
line accountability for the group`s global aluminium business.                  
Mr Salamon was one of the four Executive Directors that led Billiton`s IPO on   
the London Stock Exchange in 1997 and the subsequent merger with BHP in 2001.   
Mike has extensive experience in the global mining and metals industries,       
including leadership positions in listed companies in South Africa and          
Australia. These positions encompassed line accountability for performance as   
well as a variety of transactions aimed at either growing the group,            
consolidating its ownership position in its underlying subsidiaries, or         
divesting non-core businesses.                                                  
CAREER                                                                          
Senior Minerals Executive and President Aluminium 2002-2003; President & CEO    
Minerals 2001; Executive Director Billiton 1997-2001 (responsible for the       
nickel, chrome, stainless steel, manganese and titanium businesses); Executive  
Director Gencor 1993-1997; Chairman/Executive Chairman Samancor 1993-2003;      
Director Richards Bay Minerals 1997-2003; Chairman/Deputy Chairman Columbus     
Stainless 1993-2001; Deputy Chairman QNI 1997-1999; Managing Director Trans-    
Natal Coal Corporation 1989-1993; Marketing, business development and general   
management positions in Trans-Natal 1985-1989; Shell Coal 1981-1985; De Beers   
and Anglo-American 1975-1979.                                                   
PERSONAL                                                                        
MBA London Business School                                                      
BSc (Mining Engineering) University of the Witwatersrand.                       
Married, three children. Recreation: Motorcycling, scuba diving and squash.     
Date: 24/02/2003 08:16:01 AM Supplied by www.sharenet.co.za                     
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