Boyce comes to Peabody from Rio Tinto after 26 years with the group, where he most recently served as chief executive officer for energy, with coal and uranium operations in five countries. Boyce was replaced by Preston Chiaro.

Reporting to Boyce will be Peabody's executive vice president of sales, marketing and trading and the executives for Powder River Basin, Southwest, Midwest and Appalachian operations.

His prior positions include president and chief executive officer of Kennecott Energy Company; president of Kennecott Minerals Company and director of government and public affairs of Kennecott Corporation.

He has extensive engineering and operating experience and also served as executive assistant to the vice chairman of Standard Oil. He serves on the board of Coal and Allied Industries Limited in Australia and Energy Resources of Australia.

Boyce holds a bachelor of science degree in mining engineering from the University of Arizona and completed the advanced management program from the Graduate School of Business at Harvard University. He will be relocating to St. Louis from his current home near London.

Boyce’s position becomes active as of next month where he will also serve as a member of Peabody's senior executive committee.