MELBOURNE—Mining and resources giant BHP Billiton has appointed Tony Cudmore as president, corporate affairs. Cudmore will join the group management committee, report to the chief executive officer Andrew Mackenzie and based at the company’s headquarters in Melbourne, Australia.

Cudmore joins BHP Billiton from Exxon Mobil Corporation where he most recently led international corporate brand communications and Asia Pacific government relations. He joined ExxonMobil in 2001 and has held various senior public and government affairs roles, including manager of corporate public affairs and manager, media relations.

Before relocating to the United States in 2006, he was based in Melbourne with responsibility for Communications as well as Government Relations for ExxonMobil’s upstream business.

Before joining ExxonMobil, Cudmore was the assistant director of the Australian Institute of Petroleum and prior to that, the principal adviser to the then Premier of Victoria, Jeff Kennett MP.

He takes over BHP Billiton corporate affairs from Karen Wood, who has been the acting head since mid-2013. She will remain a key member of the GMC and will continue her work on a range of significant corporate and board issues with Mackenzie.