Keys to open new doors

J. Michael Yeager, Group Executive and Chief Executive Petroleum, heads the global petroleum business for BHP Billiton, one of the world’s largest diversified resources corporations. BHP Billiton Petroleum is headquartered in Houston, Texas where Mr. Yeager leads a global leadership team organized around areas of functional expertise in exploration, development, production and marketing of oil and natural gas.

BHP Billiton Petroleum has development, production and marketing activities in more than a dozen countries around the globe, including a significant deepwater position in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as operations in Australia, United Kingdom, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The Company has a worldwide exploration organization located in Houston that is actively exploring in selected basins around the world.

Before joining BHP Billiton in April 2006, Mr. Yeager had a long career with Mobil and ExxonMobil. He held the position of Vice President, ExxonMobil Development Company, where he was responsible for major joint venture projects worldwide. Prior to this role, he served as a Senior Vice President at Imperial Oil Limited, the Canadian affiliate of ExxonMobil, where he was responsible for the entire upstream oil and gas business. His career has also included senior positions with responsibility for all operations in the United States, Europe and Africa.

Mr. Yeager serves on the BHP Billiton Group Management Committee and the Executive Committee. He is also on the board of the American Exploration and Production Council. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the U. S. Naval Academy and a Master of Science degree from the University of Southern California. He served five years of active duty in the United States Marine Corps. He and his wife Robin have two children.