Leadership Team
Gregory H. Boyce
Greg Boyce is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Peabody Energy. Under Boyce’s leadership, Peabody has become one of the leading investments in the world. Boyce is the only CEO to be named among the top chief executives for both the energy and mining sectors, garnering recognition from Institutional Investor magazine and the Global Energy Awards. Most recently, Boyce was named one of America's Most Valuable CEOs by Chief Executive magazine, ranking 36th among S&P 500 chief executives.
Boyce trained as a mining engineer and has gained extensive management, operating and engineering experience around the world during a three-decade career in the mining and energy industry. He joined Peabody Energy in 2003 as President and Chief Operating Officer, assumed responsibility for the company as President and Chief Executive Officer in 2006, and became Chairman the following year.
Prior to joining Peabody, Boyce served as Chief Executive Officer – Energy for international mining company Rio Tinto in London, with responsibility for a worldwide coal and uranium portfolio. Other prior positions include President and Chief Executive Officer of Kennecott Energy Company, President of Kennecott Minerals Company and Executive Assistant to the Vice Chairman of Standard Oil of Ohio.
Boyce holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mining engineering from the University of Arizona and an Advanced Management Program degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Business. His leadership positions include Chairman of the Coal Industry Advisory Board of the International Energy Agency and former Chairman of the National Mining Association. He is a member of The Business Council, Business Roundtable and the National Coal Council, where he was Study Chair of the council's report, "Coal: America's Energy Future." He is a member of the Board of Directors of Marathon Oil Corporation and Monsanto Company. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Trustees of Washington University in St. Louis, and is a member of the Advisory Council of the University of Arizona’s Department of Mining and Geological Engineering.
Michael C. Crews
Michael C. Crews is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Peabody Energy. He was promoted to this position in June 2008. He has executive responsibility for the company's financial and accounting functions, including treasury, insurance, risk management, accounting, financial reporting, tax, strategic and financial planning, forecasting, capital management and budgeting, as well as corporate business development, investor relations, corporate communications and community relations.
Crews has nearly 20 years of financial experience and an extensive background with Peabody. He joined Peabody in 1998 as Senior Manager of Financial Reporting. He has served as Assistant Corporate Controller, Director of Planning, Assistant Treasurer, and, most recently, Vice President of Operations Planning.
Prior to joining Peabody, Crews served for three years in financial positions with MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. and six years at KPMG Peat Marwick in St. Louis. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy from the University of Missouri at Columbia and a Master of Business Administration degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Crews serves on the Board of Directors of the St. Louis Regional Chamber.
Sharon D. Fiehler
Sharon Fiehler is Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. She has served on the company's senior leadership team since April 2003, and she has executive responsibility for organizational and employee development, benefits, compensation, employee relations, affirmative action, facilities management services, information technology, global security and aviation services.
Sharon has served in a series of roles in organizational and employee relations, compensation, salaried benefits and supply chain management since joining the company as Manager of Salary Administration in 1981. From April 2002 until January 2008, she served as Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Administration.
Sharon is Deputy Chair and Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Board of Directors of the Saint Louis Zoo Association and the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis. She is also a member of the International Women’s Forum/Missouri and the St. Louis Forum. Sharon has a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and bachelor degrees in psychology and social work from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Eric Ford
Eric Ford is Chairman – Australia for Peabody Energy. In this role, he oversees all strategic aspects of the Australia platform, including business direction, operational and commercial strategy and performance, and external stakeholder interaction.
Eric has more than 40 years of extensive international management, operating and engineering experience in the industry. He previously served as President – Australia, and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Peabody Energy. Prior to joining Peabody in 2007, Eric served as Chief Executive Officer of Anglo Coal Australia Pty Ltd. He held a series of increasingly complex operating assignments at Anglo, including Chief Executive Officer of Anglo American's joint venture coal mining operation in Colombia and Executive Director of Operations of Anglo Platinum Corporation Limited.
Eric has a Master of Science degree in management sciences from Imperial College in London and a Bachelor of Science degree in mining engineering (cum laude) from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a non-executive member of the Board of Directors of Compass Minerals based in Kansas City, Mo., and 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.
Christopher J. Hagedorn
Chris Hagedorn is President – Asia and Trading for Peabody Energy. He has executive responsibility for Peabody’s business and growth activities in Asia, including China, Mongolia, Indonesia and India; Peabody’s global COALTRADE business, which includes global coal trading plus structured products and origination; Asian finance and administration; Asia business development activities; and the law function for Asia and Global Trading activities.
Chris most recently served as Senior Vice President Global Sales and Trading Support, and has previously held positions at Peabody of Senior Vice President, Chief Procurement Officer, and Vice President - Business Performance. Prior to joining Peabody, Chris was an Associate Principal at McKinsey & Company in Cleveland, Ohio, where he provided management consulting services on various operations, marketing and business strategy topics to international clients in the energy, metals and mining, and chemicals sectors.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis and a Doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of California – Santa Barbara. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis.
Jeane L. Hull
Jeane Hull is Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer, and has executive responsibility for the global delivery of engineering, environmental, geology and design and construction services; asset management and continuous improvement; global supply chain management and applied information technology. Jeane most recently served as Group Vice President Powder River Basin and Southwest Operations, and Group Vice President of Powder River Basin Operations. She joined Peabody in May 2007 as Senior Vice President of Engineering and Technical Services.
Prior to joining Peabody, Jeane served as Chief Operating Officer of Kennecott Utah Copper. She has held numerous management, engineering and operations positions with Rio Tinto and affiliates. Prior to joining Rio Tinto, Jeane spent 12 years with Mobil Mining and Minerals, and Mobil Chemical Company. She has additional engineering, environmental and regulatory affairs experience in the public and private sector.
A registered professional engineer, Jeane holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and a Master of Business Administration degree from Nova University in Florida. She is a member of the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources Council. She serves on the University Advisory Board for South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, the Industry Advisory Board for Missouri University of Science and Technology Mining Department and the Washington University Olin Business School Women’s Leadership Forum Steering Committee.
Charles Meintjes
Charles Meintjes is President – Australia for Peabody Energy. He has executive responsibility for the company’s Australia operating platform, which includes overseeing the areas of health and safety, operations, sales and marketing, product delivery and support functions.
Charles has extensive senior operational, strategy, continuous improvement and information technology experience with mining companies on three continents. He also has led financial and technical functions, large re-engineering programs, information technology system implementations and large industrial construction projects.
Charles joined Peabody in 2007, and most recently served as Acting President – Americas for Peabody Energy. Other past positions with the company include Group Executive of Midwest and Colorado Operations, Senior Vice President of Operations Improvement and Senior Vice President Engineering and Continuous Improvement. Prior to joining Peabody, he served as a consultant to Exxaro Resources Limited in South Africa, and is a former Executive Director and Board Member for Kumba Resources Limited in South Africa. He also served on the boards of two public companies, AST Gijima in South Africa and Ticor Limited in Australia. Charles has senior management experience in the steel and the aluminum industry with Iscor and Alusaf in South Africa.
Charles holds dual Bachelor of Commerce degrees in accounting from Rand Afrikaans University and the University of South Africa. He is a Chartered Accountant in South Africa, and completed the advanced management program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.
Fredrick D. Palmer
Fred Palmer is Senior Vice President of Government Relations. He joined Peabody in February 2001. The Government Relations department is responsible for advancing government policies in the United States and worldwide to unlock the potential for coal as the world’s future fuel. Prior to joining Peabody Energy, he served for five years as General Counsel and 15 years as Chief Executive Officer of Western Fuels Association, Inc.
Fred began his career in 1969 in Washington, D.C., on the staff of Arizona Congressman Morris K. Udall where he served for two years. He was a partner in Duncan, Brown, Weinberg & Palmer, a Washington, D.C.-based law firm, for eight years where he specialized in utility, environmental, and resource law.
He is the 2004 recipient of the Erskine Ramsay Medal Award from the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration. He is a member of the National Coal Council, Executive Committee, and Chairman, Coal Policy Committee. He is Peabody Energy's representative on the Board of Directors of the World Coal Association and past Chairman. He also represents Peabody on the Board of the FutureGen Alliance. Additionally, he is a member of the California and D.C. Bar Associations.
Fred attended the University of Arizona, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1966 and Juris Doctorate with honors in 1969. There he was inducted into the Order of the Coif honor society in 1969 and served as Symposium Editor of the Arizona Law Review.
Alexander C. Schoch
Alex Schoch is Executive Vice President Law, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Peabody Energy. He joined Peabody in October 2006 with executive responsibility for all law and corporate secretary functions. Prior to joining Peabody, he served as Vice President and General Counsel for Emerson Process Management.
Alex has more than 30 years of extensive corporate legal experience. His prior positions include various legal positions with Goodrich Corporation, serving as Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Secretary. Earlier in his career he worked for Marathon Oil Company as an attorney in its international exploration and production division.
Alex is a member of the American and International Bar Associations, as well as the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals, the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI Law Council, the National Mining Association and the National Association of Corporate Directors. He serves as a Trustee at Large on the Board of Trustees for the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation. He is a member of the board of directors for North Side Community School and the National Blues Museum, both in St. Louis. He previously served as Chairman of the Legal Committee of the Aerospace Industries of America.
Alex received his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, and his Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He is admitted to practice law in Illinois, Missouri, Ohio and Texas.
Kemal Williamson
Kemal Williamson is President – Americas for Peabody Energy. He has executive responsibility for the company’s U.S. operating platform, a joint venture in Venezuela and business development activities. He oversees the areas of health and safety; operations; sales and marketing; product delivery and support functions.
Kemal brings more than 30 years experience in mining engineering and operations roles across North America and Australia. He most recently was Group Executive Operations for the company's Peabody Energy Australia operations. He also has held executive leadership roles across project development, as well as in positions overseeing the company’s Western U.S., Powder River Basin and Midwest operations.
Kemal joined the company in 2000 as Director of Land Management. Prior to Peabody, he served two years at Cyprus Australia Coal Corporation as Director of Operations and managed coal operations in Australia for half a decade. Kemal also has mining engineering, financial analyst and management experience across Colorado, Kentucky and Illinois.
Kemal is a registered Professional Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mining engineering from Pennsylvania State University as well as a Master of Business Administration degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.
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