Glencore Xstrata has appointed Tony Hayward as its interim chairman, a source with knowledge of the matter said, propelling the once "vilified" former BP chief executive into the limelight after an unexpected boardroom coup. John Bond, a City veteran and former chairman of Xstrata, earlier surprised investors by announcing he had been voted out of the top job at the miner and trader at its first annual shareholders' meeting, which he then asked Hayward to lead.
Bond, who had been expected to relinquish his role once a replacement was found, gave no explanation for the vote in Zug, Switzerland, which was presumably backed by Glencore executives who still own almost 25 percent of the company.