Board Appointment

BHP Billiton Limited
25 January 2005

     BHP Billiton Limited is issuing this announcement to fulfil disclosure
  obligations arising from its secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange.

    The text of this release is identical to that issued by BHP Billiton Plc
                                    earlier.


Date                 25 January 2005
Number               01/05

                         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 Relations
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Tania Price, Media Relations                                  Ariane Gentil, Media Relations
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Francis McAllister, Investor Relations                        Michael Campbell, Investor & Media Relations
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