South African Kloppers to take helm at BHP Billiton
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By: Mariaan Webb
31st May 2007
TEXT SIZE South African-born Marius Kloppers will lead the world’s largest mining group, BHP Billiton, from October 1, succeeding CEO Chip Goodyear, the company announced on Thursday.
Goodyear announced in February that he would retire at the end of the year.
Kloppers, a 44-year old chemical engineer, is currently group president for nonferrous materials and an executive director of BHP Billiton and played a central role in the merger of BHP and Billiton.
Analysts suggested that either Kloppers, who played a key role in the merger of BHP and Billiton, or CFO Chris Lynch would be appointed to the position as CEO.
BHP Billiton spokesperson Bronwyn Wilkinson said that the group had interviewed a number of candidates, both internal and external.
"One of Chip Goodyear's legacies is that BHP Billiton has a talented group of executives from which the board could choose his successor," she said.
Chairperson Don Argus said that the BHP Billiton board was confident that Kloppers would bring to the CEO role the skills needed to take the company to the next stage of its development.
"We are in a time of considerable change in our industry with the emergence of new markets and sources of supply. Marius’ vast experience in the resources sector and his demonstrated strategic capabilities provide the skills we need in the next leader of our great company,” he said.
Wilkinson added that Kloppers was "completely aligned" with the company's strategy, whcih was to focus on owning large, long-life, low cost assets that wre diversified by commodity and geography.
"His appointment does not signify any change in that strategy, nor does it signify any change to the group's approach to M&A activity or its capital management," she said.
The company has been linked to possible merger-and-acquisition activity in recent weeks, with a widely rumoured $100-billion-plus bid for Rio Tinto, but it has not made an official bid.
Goodyear commented that Kloppers had “extensive experience” in the operating, marketing and strategic aspects of the natural resources industry, which he gained through 14 years with BHP Billiton and its predecessor companies.
He joined the group in 1993 in the aluminium business and subsequently held a variety of operating and functional roles including GM for Hillside Aluminium, and COO for the aluminium business. Kloppers was also a core member of the team that created the group’s aluminium business, BHP Billiton said.
Kloppers played a central role in the merger of BHP and Billiton, and held the positions of chief marketing officer and then chief commercial officer before being appointed group president for nonferrous materials and an executive director of BHP Billiton in January 2006.
He obtained a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pretoria, a PhD from MIT, in the US, and a MBA from Insead, in France.
His early career was with petrochemicals giant Sasol and in materials research with the State-owned research firm. (Download biography below)
Goodyear will retire as CEO on September 30, and from the group at the end of the 2007 calendar year.
Kloppers will head a company that employs some 38 000 employees in more than 100 operations in 25 countries and will be based at the group’s headquarters in Melbourne, Australia.
0 COMMENTS | ADD A COMMENT PRINT EMAIL |
By: Mariaan Webb
31st May 2007
TEXT SIZE South African-born Marius Kloppers will lead the world’s largest mining group, BHP Billiton, from October 1, succeeding CEO Chip Goodyear, the company announced on Thursday.
Goodyear announced in February that he would retire at the end of the year.
Kloppers, a 44-year old chemical engineer, is currently group president for nonferrous materials and an executive director of BHP Billiton and played a central role in the merger of BHP and Billiton.
Analysts suggested that either Kloppers, who played a key role in the merger of BHP and Billiton, or CFO Chris Lynch would be appointed to the position as CEO.
BHP Billiton spokesperson Bronwyn Wilkinson said that the group had interviewed a number of candidates, both internal and external.
"One of Chip Goodyear's legacies is that BHP Billiton has a talented group of executives from which the board could choose his successor," she said.
Chairperson Don Argus said that the BHP Billiton board was confident that Kloppers would bring to the CEO role the skills needed to take the company to the next stage of its development.
"We are in a time of considerable change in our industry with the emergence of new markets and sources of supply. Marius’ vast experience in the resources sector and his demonstrated strategic capabilities provide the skills we need in the next leader of our great company,” he said.
Wilkinson added that Kloppers was "completely aligned" with the company's strategy, whcih was to focus on owning large, long-life, low cost assets that wre diversified by commodity and geography.
"His appointment does not signify any change in that strategy, nor does it signify any change to the group's approach to M&A activity or its capital management," she said.
The company has been linked to possible merger-and-acquisition activity in recent weeks, with a widely rumoured $100-billion-plus bid for Rio Tinto, but it has not made an official bid.
Goodyear commented that Kloppers had “extensive experience” in the operating, marketing and strategic aspects of the natural resources industry, which he gained through 14 years with BHP Billiton and its predecessor companies.
He joined the group in 1993 in the aluminium business and subsequently held a variety of operating and functional roles including GM for Hillside Aluminium, and COO for the aluminium business. Kloppers was also a core member of the team that created the group’s aluminium business, BHP Billiton said.
Kloppers played a central role in the merger of BHP and Billiton, and held the positions of chief marketing officer and then chief commercial officer before being appointed group president for nonferrous materials and an executive director of BHP Billiton in January 2006.
He obtained a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pretoria, a PhD from MIT, in the US, and a MBA from Insead, in France.
His early career was with petrochemicals giant Sasol and in materials research with the State-owned research firm. (Download biography below)
Goodyear will retire as CEO on September 30, and from the group at the end of the 2007 calendar year.
Kloppers will head a company that employs some 38 000 employees in more than 100 operations in 25 countries and will be based at the group’s headquarters in Melbourne, Australia.
