Is Anglo American facing a cultural revolution?

Anglo American certainly has changed in the past decade - even more so in the past month. What is going on at the firm that once dominated nearly every sector of the South African economy? The L.A. Times reports: "How distant those grand days must seem now to Anglo employees in the remains of the company's South African empire, as they come to terms with changes this month that presage one of the greatest upheavals in the company's 90-year history. In the space of 24 hours, the heads of Anglo Platinum, in which Anglo has a 75% stake, and AngloGold Ashanti [NYSE:AU], in which Anglo has a 42% stake, stepped down. "Almost overnight, two of the biggest players in corporate South Africa left the stage, although under quite different circumstances. While Ralph Havenstein, the CEO of Anglo Platinum, was forced out, Bobby Godsell, his counterpart at AngloGold Ashanti and one of the titans of South African business over the last two decades, had been discussing his departure for more than a year. But the coincidence of their departures dramatically underlined the impression that a cultural revolution is underway. "A change had been expected since the announcement late last year that, for the first time since Anglo's foundation in 1917, its CEO would not be a white South African patrician. Instead, the post went to an outsider: Cynthia Carroll, a former top executive at aluminium producer Alcan Inc [NSYE:AL; TSX:AL]. Not only was she an American woman, but also her experience was in aluminium rather than gold, the traditional heart of the Anglo business."