NEWSMAKER-No-nonsense new Anglo chairman brings fresh look

* New Anglo chair John Parker has long merger expertise

* Has sat on 12 boards, chaired eight of them

* Genial presence, believes in tough leadership

By Eric Onstad

LONDON, July 10 (Reuters) - John Parker brings a hard-headed shipbuilding background, gracious style and merger expertise to the chairman's post of mining group Anglo American Plc (AAL.L), under siege by predator Xstrata (XTA.L).

Parker, 67, who has sat on 12 boards of listed companies and chaired eight of them, will take the top job at Anglo on Aug. 1. [ID:nLA342519]

Born in Northern Ireland into a farming family, Parker has a reputation as genial with a no-nonsense core.

"Beneath the velvet manners, it's hard to escape the impression that Parker is really made of shipbuilder's steel," said a 2007 article in World Business magazine.

"Smooth and unhurried, he has the kind of presence that is build on decades of success."

Parker is well suited to help chart Anglo's future after it solidly rebuffed a proposal by Xstrata two weeks ago for a "merger of equals". [ID:nL6692311] [ID:nLU873975]

Known to relish challenges, Parker helped navigate a clutch of companies through mergers, including the British shipbuilding sector through nationalisation and then back to the private sector.

He is currently chairman of British energy network provider National Grid Plc (NG.L), assuming the post when Lattice, a spin-off of British Gas, merged with National Grid in 2002.

As chairman of Britain's Peninsula & Oriental Steam Navigation Co (P&O), Parker helped engineer its sale to Dubai ports operator DP World for $6.8 billion in 2006.

BELIEVES IN STRONG CHAIRMEN