In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Friday, Peabody said Ford would have continuing responsibilities for government relations in Australia, including coal advocacy activities.

He will also collaborate on improvement and development projects “that impact the global Peabody

platform” and will act as a key resource to the new president and chief operating officer.

Longtime mining veteran Glenn Kellow was recently recruited as the international coal company’s newest president and chief operating officer.

Ford has served as chairman of Peabody Australia overseeing all strategic aspects of the Australian platform, including business direction, operational and commercial strategy and performance and external stakeholder interaction.

He has more than 40 years of extensive international management, operating and engineering experience in the industry.

Prior to joining Peabody in 2007, Ford served as chief executive officer of Anglo Coal Australia.

He held a series of increasingly complex operating assignments at Anglo, including CEO of Anglo American's joint venture coal mining operation in Colombia and executive director of operations of Anglo Platinum Corporation.

Ford has a master’s degree in management sciences from Imperial College in London and a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering (cum laude) from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

He has served as deputy chairman and member of the executive committee of the Coal Industry Advisory Board of the International Energy Agency.

He is also a director of the Minerals Council of Australia.