C-Suite Moves Rock Lithium as Industry Expands in Battery Boom
- SQM CEO and Albemarle head of lithium are leaving their roles
- Replacements create short-term uncertainty in lithium market
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Unexpected leadership changes within a day at the world’s two largest lithium producers underscore concerns over a lack of executive experience in the industry amid a nascent boom for the battery metal.
On Wednesday, Albemarle Corp. announced the replacement of its lithium president John Mitchell, who was named chief of a Chilean exploration company hours later. Also on Wednesday, Soc. Quimica y Minera de Chile SA said Chief Executive Officer Patricio de Solminihac will leave the company by the end of the year. Both executives will be replaced internally.