The appointment comes just weeks after Aberdeen announced a blockbuster £11bn merger with rival Scottish fund house Standard Life Investments.
Glencore chairman Tony Hayward said Gilbert was “one of the leading entrepreneurs of asset management and also has a long track record as a FTSE non-executive director”.
Gilbert was among the co-founders of Aberdeen Asset Management in 1983 and is also deputy chairman of Sky PLC.
He retains his leadership role at the asset manager and will retain his additional roles as a board member on numerous investment trusts.
