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.

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.

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.

MBA London Business School

BSc (Mining Engineering) University of the Witwatersrand.

Married, three children. Recreation: Motorcycling, scuba diving and squash.