He began career in petrochemicals and materials research in South Africa . In the early 1980s, he moved to Canada where he worked for a number of years as an engineer at Petro-Canada. After receiving an MBA from Insead in France , he worked as a management consultant with McKinsey & Co in the Netherlands . He has been Chief Executive Officer of BHP Billiton since October 2007 .
He began career in petrochemicals and materials research in South Africa . In the early 1980s, he moved to Canada where he worked for a number of years as an engineer at Petro-Canada. He has been Chief Executive Officer of BHP Billiton since October 2007 .