BHP Billiton has appointed a new CIO, Chris Crozier, following the departure of Ken Mathews.

A spokesperson for BHP would not comment on the date or reasons for Mathew’s departure other than that he had “decided to leave to pursue other opportunities.”

“Ken played a key role in the implementation of our information stratety,” the spokesperson said. “We wish Ken every success in his future endeavours.”

Chris Crozier joined BHP in January 2007 as chief procurement officer based in Singapore. From 2001 to early 2007 he was managing partner, Asia at spend management software provider Ariba.

He has also held the role of senior engagement manager at Mitchell Madison Group, and international marketing manager at Rio Tinto.

The spokesperson would not comment on the status of, and impact on, the current IT projects underway at BHP as a result of Mathew’s departure, citing them as “commercially confidential.”

Ken Matthews was appointed CIO in early 2008, after the previous CIO, Jon Dudas, was appointed as president, Aluminium at BHP’s aluminum customer sector group.

This week it was announced that BHP Billiton had implemented hundreds of software backup systems on its server infrastructure that paves the way for data deduplication.

In March 2007 BHP extended its outsourcing contract with CSC inking a two-year, $100 million extension to its application services agreement.

Under the deal, CSC provided software development and maintenance support to BHP Billiton through to May this year.

In May CSC announced it had entered into an agreement with BHP to acquire the assets of BHP Information Technology Proprietary Ltd. (BHP IT), a wholly owned subsidiary of BHP.

As part of the agreement, CSC is to provide consulting, systems integration and outsourcing services under a seven-year contract valued at $820 million.

CSC’s agreement to acquire BHP IT, which has revenues of $268 million, included the transfer of 1700 employees and contractors, assets and services.