Board changes to advance CleanTech Lithium into next phase of development

Highlights:

• Current non-executive Chairman of CleanTech Lithium, Steve Kesler, moves to the position of Executive Chairman after joining the Company in September 2021. Dr Kesler’s background in developing major mining projects in Chile and elsewhere over 45 years will provide support and relevant experience to the CEO, Aldo Boitano, and at a time when the company is intent on moving from exploration to the development and production phase. His particular focus will be on guiding the Company through the various strategic options in production, partnerships, offtake and financing.
• To further strengthen the company’s Board, Maha Daoudi has been appointed as an independent non-executive director. Ms Daoudi brings extensive industry experience to the Board, having held several Board and senior level positions across commodities, energy transition, finance and tech-related industries. Ms Daoudi’s experience in offtake agreements with different commodities, especially in her previous senior role at Trafigura, and her ability to strike up international alliances is a key strategic advantage for the Company as it looks to establish a relationship with a strategic partner/s over the next year. In this new role, Ms Daoudi will be replacing Dr Kesler’s position on the audit and remuneration committees.
• Both appointments have been made with immediate effect to support the CEO, Aldo Boitano, and his executive team as the company aims to bring the Laguna Verde lithium project into production in late 2025. These appointments demonstrate the Board’s commitment to building a team that will help to fulfil the company’s ambition to become the greenest supplier of lithium for the Electric Vehicle (EV) market.

Aldo Boitano, Chief Executive of CleanTech Lithium said:

“I am delighted that Steve is moving to Executive Chairman and Maha is joining the company on our journey to producing the greenest lithium for the EV market. They both bring a diverse set of skills that will help drive the company into the next phase, all the while strengthening our position in the lithium market. Steve has been invaluable since the day he arrived, helping shape the company’s business strategy and providing expert and very well-received counsel. Now as an Executive Chairman, Steve will continue bringing his experience and knowledge of the business, while taking on specific roles largely relating to strategy, corporate development, partner/customer relationships and supporting my role as CEO. His experience of taking very large projects all the way through into production will be invaluable and brings additional firepower to our growing executive team. Having Maha on board comes at a very exciting time for the company. With her experience, she is going to be an important part of our progress and help us ensure we deliver on our commitment to produce battery grade lithium, with a leading ESG approach embedded throughout.”

Steve Kesler, Executive Chairman of CleanTech Lithium, said:

“As the company accelerates towards production, I will be bringing to the executive team my broad experience across the commodities sector and from taking major projects from exploration into production especially in Chile. Aldo is building a quality team with the right expertise to achieve our production objectives. In the coming months we will have announcements from our two drilling campaigns from our flagship projects Laguna Verde and Francisco Basin, whilst also making progress with our third and highly prospective greenfield asset, Llamara. I am looking forward to taking the Executive Chairman role at the company and supporting Aldo and his team in progressing our projects as rapidly as we can.”

Maha Daoudi, Non-Executive Director of CleanTech Lithium said:

“I am very excited to join CleanTech Lithium and look forward to working with the Board and management team as we make progress towards production. Considering the prospects that Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) offers, combined with CleanTech Lithium’s experience, I believe this is an opportunity to make a positive impact on the commodities and mining industries. Lithium plays a crucial role in the decarbonisation of our economy and if we are to achieve this transition, we need to ensure we source lithium in the most environmentally and socially sound manner possible. I believe CleanTech Lithium will play a significant role in achieving this.”

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/exploration-development/03042023/board-changes-to-advance-cleantech-lithium-into-next-phase-of-development/