Hammond will report to president and chief operating officer Gregory H. Boyce and he will have executive responsibility for coal operations in Arizona and New Mexico.

Hammond has over 27 years of experience in mining engineering and operations in the Western United States, Australia and Chile. His career includes operations and management positions with Rio Tinto and engineering management positions with BHP Billiton.

Most recently, he served as leader of core technologies for Rio Tinto Procurement in Salt Lake City. Hammond's energy experience includes previous roles as chief operating officer for Coal and Allied in New South Wales, Australia, and general manager at the Jacobs Ranch Mine in the Powder River Basin.

"We are pleased to have Rob join the Peabody team as head of our Southwest region," said Boyce. "Rob has tremendous experience in large-scale surface operations, coupled with a proven track record in negotiating complex commercial agreements."

Hammond holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mining Engineering from the Montana School of Mines in Butte.