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ST. LOUIS, Jan. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU) has named T. Layton Croft Vice President – International Government Relations Asia.  Croft is responsible for advancing Peabody's governmental outreach in the fast-growth economies of Asia and will seek to create a favorable policy framework for the greater use of coal throughout the continent.  

Based in Singapore, Croft reports to Vice President – International Government Relations Michael J. Flannigan.  He succeeds L. Cartan Sumner Jr., who has been named Vice President – Office of the CEO.  Sumner will be a key CEO liaison with Peabody internal constituencies, external organizations and selected industry groups and will be an integral part of the Office of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gregory Boyce.  

Most recently, Croft was Vice President, External Affairs and Corporate Citizenship, for Mongolian miner SouthGobi Resources Ltd.  He oversaw government, community and public affairs; corporate social responsibility; and investor and media relations. He also managed social responsibility for SouthGobi parent company Ivanhoe Mines Ltd., supporting interests in Mongolia, China, Australia and Kazakhstan.  From 2005 to July 2010, Croft held an executive corporate affairs and social responsibility role for Ivanhoe's investment at Oyu Tolgoi.  He also has experience in Mongolia as a representative for The Asia Foundation, a non-profit specializing in sustainable economic growth, international relations, law, governance and policy reform.

Croft, a U.S. native, has lived and worked internationally for more than 16 years in corporate and public-sector roles, primarily in Mongolia as well as Indonesia, Korea, Serbia, Guatemala and Hong Kong.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Arts in education from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vt.

Sumner most recently served as Vice President of Asian Government Relations.  Since joining Peabody in 2001, he has held a variety of government relations and business development positions of increasing responsibility supporting the company's global expansion, including Vice President of International Government Relations and Director of Corporate Development.  Sumner earned a Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., a Master of Business Administration from the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis, and a Juris Doctorate from the Washington University School of Law.

Peabody Energy is the world's largest private-sector coal company and a global leader in clean coal solutions.  With 2009 sales of 244 million tons and $6 billion in revenues, Peabody fuels 10 percent of U.S. power and 2 percent of worldwide electricity.  

SOURCE Peabody Energy