BHP Billiton board appointment25 Jan 2005
BHP Billiton Plc - BHP Billiton board appointment                               
BHP Billiton Plc                                                                
SHARE CODE:  BPL                                                                
ISIN: GB000056650                                                               
BHP BILLITON BOARD APPOINTMENT                                                  
BHP Billiton Chairman Don Argus today announced the appointment of Carlos       
Cordeiro to the BHP Billiton Board, effective 3 February 2005.  Mr Cordeiro is a
former Partner and Managing Director of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.  Since his
retirement he has continued as an Advisory Director of the firm and as Vice     
Chairman of Goldman Sachs (Asia).                                               
Announcing the appointment, Mr Argus said that Mr Cordeiro would be a valuable  
addition to the Board, bringing with him more than 20 years experience in       
providing strategic and financial advice to corporations, financial institutions
and governments around the world.                                               
`Mr Cordeiro`s experience ideally complements the skill base of the BHP Billiton
Board and we are pleased to have secured a director with such an outstanding    
financial and strategic pedigree,` Mr Argus said.                               
Mr Cordeiro, who resides in Hong Kong, held many leadership positions during his
12-year career at Goldman Sachs.  He began his career in 1980 with Manufacturers
Hanover Trust Company in New York then moved to Credit Suisse First Boston in   
London to focus on derivatives and capital markets before joining Goldman Sachs 
to help lead its international expansion in 1990.                               
Mr Cordeiro`s career has spanned the public and private sectors.  He was the    
senior banker to the World Bank and the multi-lateral regional development      
banks.  He has worked closely with the governments of several nations, including
Britain and Italy during the post-Exchange Rate Mechanism crisis and in the     
build up to the European Union`s adoption of a common currency.  He also led the
team that brought post-apartheid South Africa to the international capital      
markets in 1994.                                                                
Born in India, Mr Cordeiro became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1981. He        
received his AB and an MBA from Harvard University.  He currently serves on     
Harvard University`s Asia Centre Advisory Committee and the Harvard College     
Board of Overseers` Visiting Committee.                                         
Mr Argus said that Mr Cordeiro`s appointment would bring the number of BHP      
Billiton directors to eleven.   The Group`s established process of continually  
reviewing the mix of skills and competencies of directors will continue to      
ensure that the Board is made up of members best able to promote shareholder    
interests and effectively govern the Group.                                     
Further information on BHP Billiton can be found on our Internet site:          
http://www.bhpbilliton.com                                                      
Australia                              United Kingdom                           
Jane Belcher, Investor Relations       Mark Lidiard, Investor & Media           
Tel: +61 3 9609 3952                   Relations                                
Mobile: +61 417 031 653                Tel: +44 20 7802 4156                    
email: Jane.H.Belcher@bhpbilliton.com  email: Mark.Lidiard@bhpbilliton.com      
Tania Price, Media Relations           Ariane Gentil, Media Relations           
Tel: +61 3 9609 3815                   Tel: +44 20 7802 4177                    
Mobile: +61 419 152 780                email: Ariane.Gentil@bhpbilliton.com     
email: Tania.Price@bhpbilliton.com                                              
                                       South Africa                             
United States                          Michael Campbell, Investor & Media       
Francis McAllister, Investor           Relations                                
Relations                              Tel: +27 11 376 3360                     
Tel: +1 713 961 8625                   Mobile: +27 82 458 2587                  
Mobile: +1 713 480 3699                email:                                   
email:                                 Michael.J.Campbell@bhpbilliton.com       
Francis.R.McAllister@bhpbilliton.com                                            
Date: 25 January 2005                                                           
Date: 25/01/2005 08:29:04 AM                  
Produced by the JSE SENS Department