Alpha Natural Resources president to resign
January 13, 2015 10:28 AMVirginia-based coal producer Alpha Natural Resources announced Tuesday that its president, Paul Vining, will be leaving the company at the end of January. To compensate for his absence, Alpha is adding more responsibilities to two executives: Brian Sullivan, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, and Keith Hainer, executive vice president of mining operations.
Mr. Sullivan will keep his role and have a greater hand in managing the company’s “expanding natural gas commercial enterprise and extensive land holdings.”
Mr. Hainer, who was, until now, senior vice president of operations excellence and idle mines at an Alpha subsidiary, will now be responsible for Alpha’s 60 affiliated coal mines in Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Wyoming.
Alpha’s outgoing president, Mr. Vining, will become CEO of a company that’s an affiliate of the Cline Group, which acquires and operates coal mines outside the U.S.
In a statement, the company’s CEO, Kevin Crutchfield, called Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Hainer “next-generation coal mining leaders” who will steer the company through a tough time in the coal business.