Appoint President Energy Coal

BHP Billiton Limited
27 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                 27 January 2005
Number               04/05

                  BHP BILLITON APPOINTS PRESIDENT ENERGY COAL


BHP Billiton announced today the appointment of Mahomed Seedat as President
Energy Coal. In this role Mr Seedat will have responsibility for BHP Billiton's
domestic and export thermal coal businesses. BHP Billiton is one of the largest
producers and marketers of export thermal coal and has interests in operations
in South Africa, North America, South America and Australia. Mr Seedat will be
based in Johannesburg, South Africa and will report to Philip Aiken, Group
President Energy.

Mr Seedat has more than 20 years experience in the minerals industry, most
recently as the President and COO Ingwe, responsible for BHP Billiton's energy
coal business in southern Africa, which consists of seven mines with total
production exceeding 55 million tons per annum. From 2001 to 2004 Mr Seedat was
President and COO of BHP Billiton's southern Africa aluminium business with full
strategic and operational responsibility for the three aluminium smelters in
South Africa and Mozambique. Prior to this he was the General Manager Hillside
Aluminium, responsible for significantly improving production and decreasing
costs, making Hillside amongst the lowest cost producers of aluminium in the
world.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr Aiken said: 'Mahomed's depth of technical
experience and commercial focus, and his outstanding record as a leader of large
and complex businesses, will serve him well in his new role as we further
develop our energy coal business across the globe. '

Mr Seedat will take on his new responsibilities with immediate effect.

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
Tel: [phone] Mobile: [phone]                  Tel: [phone]
email: [e-mail]                         email: [e-mail]

Tania Price, Media Relations                                  Ariane Gentil, Media Relations
Tel: [phone] Mobile: [phone]                  Tel: [phone]
email: [e-mail]                            email: [e-mail]

United States                                                 South Africa
Francis McAllister, Investor Relations                        Michael Campbell, Investor & Media Relations
Tel: [phone] Mobile: [phone]                  Tel: [phone] Mobile: [phone]
email: [e-mail]                   email: [e-mail]



Background Information

Mr Mahomed Seedat

Prior to his appointment as President Energy Coal, Mr Seedat served as President
and COO of BHP Billiton's energy coal business in South Africa, which consists
of seven mines with total production exceeding 55 million tons per annum. He was
appointed a member of the BHP Billiton Executive Committee in May 2004.

From 2001 to 2004 as President & COO of BHP Billiton's Southern Africa aluminium
business, Mr Seedat was responsible for the full strategic and operational
responsibility for the three aluminium smelters in Southern Africa and
Mozambique, which together produce approximately 1,400,000 tons of primary
aluminium with a market value of US$1,250 million per annum.

From 1997 to 2001 he served as General Manager Hillside Aluminium, responsible
for significantly improving production and decreasing costs, making Hillside
amongst the lowest cost producers of aluminium in the world.

Mr Seedat started his career in the minerals industry in 1980. Mr Seedat serves
as a member of the Engineering Council SA, Institute of Electrical Engineers and
the Engineering Academy of South Africa.

Career

President and COO Ingwe 2004; President and COO Southern Africa Aluminium
2001-2004; General Manager Hillside Aluminium 1997-2001; Manager Maintenance,
Hillside Aluminium 1996-1997; Assistant Engineering Manager/Manager Engineering
1994-1996; Electrical Engineering Manager Richards Bay Coal Terminal 1992-1994;
1980-1991 the following positions with Amcoal: Landau Project Engineer 1991;
Electrical Services Colliery Engineer, 1988-1990; Underground Colliery
Construction Engineer 1987-1988; Surface Services Colliery Engineer, 1986-1987;
Instrumentation Engineer 1982-1986; Engineering Assistant 1981-1982; Graduate
Junior Engineer 1980-1981.

Personal

Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, University of Durban-Westville, 1974-1979

Program in Management Development, Harvard Business School, 1990

Government Certificate Mines and Works

Management Development Program, UNISA

Married with six children
BHP Billiton Limited ABN 49 004 028 077                     BHP Billiton Plc Registration number 3196209
Registered in Australia                                     Registered in England and Wales
Registered Office: Level 27, 180 Lonsdale Street Melbourne  Registered Office: Neathouse Place London SW1V 1BH United
Victoria 3000                                               Kingdom
Telephone [phone] Facsimile [phone]        Telephone [phone] Facsimile [phone]

                  The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange