Walter Energy Announces Appointment of Thomas Hoffman as Vice President - Communications

BIRMINGHAM, AL--(Marketwired - Jan 16, 2014) - Walter Energy Inc. (NYSE: WLT) (TSX: WLT), a leading, publicly traded "pure-play" producer of metallurgical ("met") coal for the global steel industry, today announced the appointment of Thomas F. Hoffman as Vice President - Communications. Hoffman will be responsible for corporate communications, including communication with general and trade media, as well as certain internal communications tasks.

Hoffman has 40 years of communications experience in the energy industry, including management of the public, community, investor and government relations functions for CONSOL Energy, where he was Senior Vice President - External Affairs. Prior to joining Walter Energy, he was President of Carbon Communications Consultants, an energy communications firm he founded in 2009.

Hoffman holds a Master's Degree in Geology & Geophysics from the University of Wisconsin. He is a member of the Geological Society of America, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Public Relations Society of America ("PRSA"). PRSA's Pittsburgh Chapter named him 2008 Communicator of the Year and elected him to the PRSA Hall of Fame in 2009. He serves on several professional and community organizations and holds a Pennsylvania gubernatorial appointment to a state mining commission, where he currently serves as chairman.

About Walter Energy
Walter Energy is a leading, publicly traded "pure-play" metallurgical coal producer for the global steel industry with strategic access to high-growth steel markets in Asia, South America and Europe. The Company also produces thermal coal, anthracite, metallurgical coke and coal bed methane gas. Walter Energy employs approximately 3,500 employees, with operations in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. For more information about Walter Energy, please visit www.walterenergy.com.