Date: 16 October 2001 Number: 20/01 BHP BILLITON DIRECTOR RESIGNS - RON MCNEILLY BHP Billiton announced Executive Director Global Markets Ron McNeilly would retire from the Board at the conclusion of today's BHP Billiton Limited Annual General Meeting. Mr McNeilly was appointed to the BHP Board in 1991 and is the Group's longest serving director. He joined BHP as an 18-year old Commercial Trainee and, during 40 years of service to the Company, has acted as the head of Transport, Steel and, more recently, Minerals. BHP Billiton Chairman Don Argus paid tribute to Mr McNeilly and wished him well for the future. Mr Argus said: "This is an appropriate time for me to thank Ron, on behalf of my Board colleagues and all shareholders, for his service to BHP and, in more recent months, BHP Billiton. "Ron acted as the Company's Chief Operating Officer during most of 1998 before Paul Anderson joined us. This was a particularly difficult time, made considerably easier by Ron's leadership throughout that period. He assumed responsibility for the Minerals Division in January 1999 and headed that group through to the completion of the merger." Mr McNeilly will continue to see through his merger integration responsibilities and will leave BHP Billiton at the end of this calendar year. As recently announced, Mr McNeilly will be Deputy Chairman of BHP Steel Limited when that new Company is publicly listed next year. Further news and information can be found on our Internet site: www.bhpbilliton.com Australia Dr Robert Porter, Investor Relations Tel: +61 3 9609 3540 Mobile: +61 419 587 456 email: Robert.Porter@bhpbilliton.com Mandy Frostick, Media Relations Tel: +61 3 9609 4157 Mobile: +61 419 546 245 email: Mandy.J.Frostick@bhpbilliton.com United States Francis McAllister, Investor Relations Tel: +1 713 961 8625 Mobile: +1 713 480 3699 email: Francis.R.McAllister@bhpbilliton.com United Kingdom Marc Gonsalves, Investor Relations & Communications Tel: +44 20 7747 3956 Mobile: +44 7768 264 950 email: Marc.Gonsalves@bhpbilliton.com Ariane Gentil, Manager Communications Tel: +44 20 7747 3977 Mobile: +44 7881 518 715 email: Ariane.Gentil@bhpbilliton.com South Africa Michael Campbell, Investor & Media Relations Tel: +27 11 376 3360 Mobile: +27 82 458 2587 email: Michael.J.Campbell@bhpbilliton.com BHP Billiton Limited ABN 49 004 077 Registered in Australia Registered Office: 600 Bourke Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Telephone +61 3 9609 3333 Facsimile +61 3 9609 3015 BHP Billiton Plc Registration number 3196209 Registered in England and Wales Registered Office: 1-3 Strand London WC2N 5HA United Kingdom Telephone +44 20 7747 3800 Facsimile +44 20 7747 3900 The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia