2024 Board of Directors
Renata Arsenault is a Technical Expert, Advanced Battery Recycling at the Ford Motor Company, where she has been interfacing closely with battery suppliers and recyclers since 2006. She also works with USABC where she manages numerous development programs.
Vikram Bagri is a Director with Citi Research covering the Alternative Energy, Renewables and Refining sectors in North America, having re-joined the firm in 2023. Prior to this role, he has over a decade of experience on sell-side covering Engineering & Construction, Exploration & Production, Midstream Energy and Refining sectors at firms such as Citi, Jefferies and Needham & Company. Vikram was recognized as a rising star of Wall Street in Institutional Investor America poll in 2017.
Andreas Bareid heads the E-mobility and Battery business of QAD and is passionately interested in the intersection of battery development and manufacturing and through QAD supporting established companies as well as new entrants operate and scale effectively with focus on Supply Chain, Traceability, Quality, Manufacturing and Distribution and more.
Steve Becker is Associate Director of Open Innovation at Kimberly Clark Professional. He has over 20 years of experience leading innovation programs in the Automotive, Currency Handling, and Hygiene Solutions industries. Steve is a former Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Continental Automated Buildings Association working to improve collaboration and solution interoperability across the smart buildings industry. At Kimberly Clark Steve is responsible for innovation partnership development activities spanning across Kimberly Clark Professional’s business.
Frank Billotto is responsible for driving DuPont’s vision and business strategy for the Transportation Assembly sector in the Americas. Within the Transportation & Industrial business, he identifies and develops new opportunities for business growth and leads the execution of marketing strategies in these regions.
Neil Bloomfield is the Global Battery and Automotive Segment Leader for Waygate Techhnologies. He started his career as a Mechanical Engineering with Rolls Royce in the UK. He transitioned quickly into technical sales. He moved to the USA in 2002 with Smiths Industries as Vice President for Aviation Security and subsequently GE Security. Neil joined Waygate Technologies in 2010 as Global Sales Leader. Today he is focused on driving Inspection and Quality strategies as it relates to Batteries and Automotive applications.
Justin Britt is the General Manager leading Bechtel’s global semiconductor and electric vehicles business. Over his Bechtel career, he has held project management, strategy, commercial, and financial leadership roles on three continents. Justin is passionate about building the global battery supply chain covering components, cells, recycling, and charging infrastructure.
John Burgess is the Director of the Battery Market at Airgas. Airgas provides gas in any supply mode, plus associated equipment and services used throughout the entire battery. Over his thirty-year career with Air Liquide and now Airgas, John has excelled at providing customers with value-based solutions that improve efficiency and sustainability.
Larry Butkovich is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Precision Roll Grinders. Larry’s previous experience includes engineering at a vehicle OEM and battery manufacturer. He also managed operations at an electrical device manufacturer producing DC quick chargers for electric vehicles. Larry brings a unique blend of 25 years’ experience supporting automotive and battery manufacturing through engineering, operations, product management and sales.
Mike Canada is the COO of KORE Power, Inc. Mr. Canada has over 25 years of global leadership in international business specializing in manufacturing, strategy, operational excellence, and execution. He has spent more than 13 years in the lithium-ion battery space growing business, leading technology transfers, and scaling manufacturing. He has held various roles including C-suite positions of early-stage and leadership of Fortune 500 companies.
Ellen Carey is the VP for Global Policy and Public Affairs at Circulor, where she engages with corporations, policymakers, NGOs, and press on Circulor’s ability to bring transparency to complex industrial supply chains. Ellen has over 15 years of experience running campaigns for clean energy technologies, such as electric vehicles and renewable energy. She has held senior positions at Samsung, Audi of America, and SAFE and the Electrification Coalition.
Peter Chou is the vice president of KATOP, responsible for the sales center and strategic product department. He has 17 years of technical and management experience in new energy industry. Since joining KATOP in 2009, Peter has used his rich technical experience in key LIB equipment, such as dry electrode equipment, hydrogen energy, solid state, powder equipment, and material equipment, as well as forward-looking industry technologies, to lead the global development of KATOP.
Dave Collins was appointed vice president and general manager of Avery Dennison Performance Tapes, North America in June 2022. Based in Northeast Ohio, Dave leads the business’s commercial teams, drives top and bottom line growth, holds profit and loss responsibilities and oversees the organization’s long-term business strategy. Dave joined Avery Dennison in 2007 and has held positions of increasing responsibility in Label and Graphic Materials.
Carnie has over 30 Years’ experience in the Automotive Industry in executive level roles ranging from Advanced Product Planning, Supply Chain Management, Sales & Marketing Operations, Business Development & Value Creation, Business Strategy & Optimization, he has been responsible for managing entire Business Units. He is currently the Director of 4R & Battery (Recapture, Repair, Repurpose, and Recycle) at Nissan North America’s HQ in Franklin, TN.
Phil Cozad is a Senior Staff Engineer and manager of the HazMat & Recycling Compliance Team. He serves as the N.A. Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Leader as well as the N.A. HazMat & Recycling Product Leader for Honda operations ensuring product chemical compliance. Phil serves on many industry action groups, in addition to his role as Board Member and Secretary for the Responsible Battery Coalition.
Jim Cushing is currently the General Manager for the Energy Storage Solutions group and is responsible for establishing Applied Materials business footprint in the fast growing Li-ion battery market. Prior to joining the CTO organization, Jim worked in Italy managing the Baccini business unit building metallization equipment for solar cells which grew to over $1B. In 22 years at Applied Materials, Jim has held General Manager, Product Management, Technical Development, and Business Management leadership positions in Energy Storage, Solar, Display, and Semiconductor. Jim is a strong proponent of collaborative customer engagement in the process of developing world class products.
Austin Devaney is the Vice President for Sales and Marketing at Piedmont Lithium. There he is responsible for working with automotive, battery and materials companies to deliver lithium for electric vehicles. Austin has over twenty-five years of experience in the chemical industry leading lithium-related technical sales and product management efforts most recently at Albemarle and Rockwood Lithium.
Jonathan Evans, President and CEO of Lithium Americas, was previously VP and GM for the Lithium Division at FMC Corporation, and COO of DiversiTech Corporation. Jon has also held executive management roles at Arysta LifeScience, AMRI Corporation and General Electric. He holds a BSc in mechanical engineering from Clarkson University and an MSc from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Dr. Stephen Feldbauer joined Abbott Furnace Co in 2002 where he is currently the Director of Research and Development. Dr. Feldbauer is also a Senior Adjunct Faculty member in Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University. He is the author of numerous articles, publications, and has been awarded eight patents. He is an active member of the MPIF, American Welding Society’s C3 Committee, and Automotive Industry Action Group on Brazing.
Dave Geer is a Principal Engineer at Amphenol Advanced Sensors. A sensing company headquartered in St. Marys, Pennsylvania. Advanced Sensors services the sensing industry with temperature, contact and not contact, pressure, NDIR gas, and humidity sensing solutions, along with cell connection assemblies and remote data bridges from BMS to cloud data. Dave has 37 years of experience in sensors and sensor design, with his primary background focusing on sensing temperature in automotive applications. Dave has had 5 patents relating to the sensing industry granted over his career.
Greg Heald is the CEO of ATC Drivetrain, the global partner of choice for remanufacturing solutions. Mr. Heald has over 20 years of automotive industry experience, serving in global leadership positions in North America, Europe, and Asia—including his first position at Ford Motor Company, working in finance and purchasing. A visionary leader, Mr. Heald is focused on providing the most comprehensive portfolio of battery lifecycle management services, supported by industry leading innovations and technology, to support customer programs of any size, anywhere in the world.
Dieter Hofmann, Senior Director at Thermo Fisher Scientific, leads innovations in battery research, focusing on characterization, next-gen batteries, and sustainability. He collaborates with industry, academia, and government to drive advancements in clean energy technologies like fuel cells, solar panels, and carbon capture, with a focus on emerging trends.
Chris Kahl serves as the VP of Business Development at Omega Harvested Metallurgical. Omega Harvested Metallurgical is one of the leading eco-friendly end-of-life processors of lithium-ion batteries. Chris has spent over 12 years in senior positions in the recycling industry, creating efficient, cost-effective, sustainable pathways for manufactures. He has successfully overseen the recycling of 60+ million pounds of batteries and production scrap since his engagement in the battery industry.
David is the Chief Executive Officer of Cirba Solutions. His impressive, over 25-year career is in research & development, operations, commercial, and strategic leadership roles across numerous innovative industries, including the global lithium business, energy storage, and several specialty materials industries. While working at Piedmont Lithium, Albemarle, and Dow Chemical he had expansive assignments in Spain, Switzerland, Australia, and China, that brought out his passion for travel and culture. He is a Chemical Engineer with an Executive MBA in Global Management, and focuses on safety, operations, talent development, and innovation.
Brian Koontz is the Industry Principal at Honeywell leading the Battery Industry vertical within the Connected Industrial Division. Over his 24-year career he has led strategic initiatives across Electric, Gas, & Industrial Sectors spearheading emerging technologies in Battery, Software & Hardware technologies. His experience in Batteries started during the DOE’s EV Project in 2010 working with OEM’s and deployment of EV Chargers across the US.
He has a passion for energy transformation, holds an MBA from Western International University, and a BS in Business from DeVry University.
He has a passion for energy transformation, holds an MBA from Western International University, and a BS in Business from DeVry University.
Bernie Kotlier, Executive Director IBEW-NECA California and Nevada
Bernie Kotlier directs the development, promotion, and delivery of sustainable energy training for electricians, and business development programs for electrical contractors in California and Nevada including energy auditing, energy efficiency, photovoltaics, electric vehicles, energy storage and micro-grids. Bernie has been a member of the California Public Utilities Commission Advisory Committee on Energy Efficiency Workforce Development, the PUC Working Group on Lighting, and the State of California Schools of the Future Initiative Advisory Committee.
Bernie Kotlier directs the development, promotion, and delivery of sustainable energy training for electricians, and business development programs for electrical contractors in California and Nevada including energy auditing, energy efficiency, photovoltaics, electric vehicles, energy storage and micro-grids. Bernie has been a member of the California Public Utilities Commission Advisory Committee on Energy Efficiency Workforce Development, the PUC Working Group on Lighting, and the State of California Schools of the Future Initiative Advisory Committee.
Zachary Kuznar is Managing Director of Distributed Energy Technology for Duke Energy. In this role Zak leads a team responsible for developing and executing the strategy to create an investment portfolio for Combined Heat and Power, energy storage and microgrids for all of Duke Energy’s regulated companies. Previously he worked in Duke’s Emerging Technology Office. Zak holds an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Yale University.
Ziyu Liu is the Deputy Director for Government Affairs in CATL with five years’ experience in policy and regulation of the EV and battery industry. Liu joined CATL in 2017. From 2020, Liu’s responsibility extended to the regulations and policies in Europe and North America. Currently, he is also leading the research on regulations for GHG, Carbon Footprint, recycling and battery passport in CATL.
Ian McCallum is the Chief Growth Officer of Anovion Battery Materials. He has spent over 25 years in advanced materials manufacturing, energy storage, and transportation industries, including over a decade in the battery materials and electrochemical energy storage industries. Leadership roles include business strategy, marketing/sales, R&D, engineering, and operations at Amsted Graphite Materials, Alcoa, UCAR/GrafTech, Celgard and Asahi Kasei.
John McKeen is Global Technical Director for Mobility at Dow, working across Dow’s businesses and technologies to partner with Mobility customers to develop materials that meet their application needs. John holds BS ChemE, BS EE, and MS EE degrees from the university of Minnesota and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Caltech.
Kevin McLaughlin is the CEO of Flexo Concepts, a global manufacturing company and market leader of high performance TruPoint doctor blades for roll doctoring and cleaning. With over 30 years of experience in the coating and lamination market, Kevin is an international expert in doctor blades, anilox rolls, and gravure cylinders. He has developed and implemented innovative strategies to improve safety, productivity, and quality standards.
Dr. Brian Morin is President and co-Founder of Dreamweaver International, a Lithium-ion and Supercapacitor separator manufacturer. Brian CEO of Innegrity LLC from 2004 – 2010. Brian previously spent nine years in the Research Division of Milliken & Company. Brian received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in physics from The Ohio State University. He received his B.S. degree in physics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Jamie Nelson is an industry director and business advisor at Rockwell Automation, where he works with business leaders to adapt to their ever-changing manufacturing challenges. He has 20 years of experience in the automation industry, and has held a variety of roles in engineering, sales, and leadership.
Margaret O’Riley is Vice President of Business Development for Electrada, which provides electrification-as-a-service to fleets, municipalities, and other private and public customers. Prior to Electrada, Margaret spent five years at Duke Energy with economic development, and on the fleet electrification team. For over 30 years, Margaret has worked in a variety of executive and leadership level economic development roles. She is a proud MSU Spartan.
Naoki Ota is the President & CEO of 24M Technologies. He is a recognized global expert in lithium-ion batteries, having been present at the birth of the technology in Japan 30 years ago. Mr. Ota co-founded Quallion, the first lithium-ion manufacturer in the US, serving the medical and aerospace industries. Subsequently, as CTO and COO of Enerdel, he led the HEV, PHEV, EV, and grid storage product lines and developed a 1GWh production capability.
John Platt is a partner at the law firm of Snell & Wilmer and a proud member of NAATBatt. He advises and represents clients with intellectual property strategies, audits, contracts, due diligence and litigation. John also handles licensing agreements and patent and trademark prosecutions.
John’s patent practice involves Alternative Energy Technologies, using his dual degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering to assist his clients with protecting their intellectual property. He has prosecuted patents in solar, wind, micro-grid, hybrid vehicle electric motors, generation, power regulation and energy storage.
John’s patent practice involves Alternative Energy Technologies, using his dual degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering to assist his clients with protecting their intellectual property. He has prosecuted patents in solar, wind, micro-grid, hybrid vehicle electric motors, generation, power regulation and energy storage.
Simon Price is the CEO of Exawatt – part of the CRU Group – which provides strategic consulting, detailed cost forecasting and supply-chain analysis in sectors that are united by common theme: decarbonisation through electrification. These include energy storage, electric vehicles (EV), power electronics and solar PV. Exawatt’s customers span the entire supply chain, from mining companies to major solar/storage developers and EV manufacturers. The company was acquired by CRU Group, a provider of commodity-related market intelligence, in early 2023.
Kathleen T. Quick, is the Senior Automotive Director for Applications Development at Daikin America, Inc. Ms. Quick has decades of experience leading teams in manufacturing (component and vehicle assembly), quality (internal and supplier), purchasing, supply chain, advanced product marketing, corporate strategy, research and applications development at Denso, General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Daikin America, Inc. She has a Master’s of Business Administration and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Economics.
Craig Rigby joined Johnson Controls, the predecessor of Clarios, in 2007 and currently serves as the Advanced Market & Technology Strategist for Power Solutions. In this role, Rigby focuses on macro level drivers that shape the energy storage market with the goal of delivering a technology strategy that aligns with our customers’ long-term needs and objectives. In addition, he investigates and evaluates new technology opportunities for partnerships or acquisitions to support the technology strategy.
Kenan Sahin is an award winning academic, scientist, inventor, technologist, serial entrepreneur and philanthropist. Educated at MIT, he has served on the faculties of MIT, University of Massachusetts and Harvard. In 1984, Dr. Sahin founded Kenan Systems, growing it into an international company before selling it to Lucent/Bell Labs. In 2002 he started TIAX where he formulated a cluster of business models and practiced them to mature early stage technologies to be IP protected, de-risked and production ready. In 2014, he spun out of TIAX CAMX Power, a leader in the development of advanced cathode materials for lithium-ion battery applications in the automotive and high-end portable electronics markets.
Mike Sandoval is the Vice President – Business Development at Maccor, Inc. He is a twenty-year veteran of the automated battery-test industry. His experience includes technical business-to-business capital equipment development, marketing, and sales and has substantial skills in software programming, manufacturing, and product development.
Tom Schaefer serves as Ecobat’s vice president of global lithium business development. He brings diverse experience working with electric vehicle OEMs and, most recently, with Amphenol, one of the world’s largest providers of high-technology interconnect, sensor, and antenna solutions. He is a proud veteran of the US Navy, serving as a submarine officer before completing his MBA at Kellogg School of Management. Tom’s work further pushes the company using its decades-long battery recycling history as a leader of the circular and sustainable battery ecosystem.
Rudolf Schick is Chief Science Officer at Spraying Systems Co. Under his direction, he aligned the company’s diverse testing facilities, best evidence from research and practice, and organizational learning to establish the world’s largest and most sophisticated industrial spray laboratory. Rudi’s professional affiliations include the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM), former Chair of ILASS (Institute of Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems), American Physical Society Department of Fluid Dynamics (APS-DFD), and Chair of the Industrial Advisory Council of the University of Illinois.
Ann Schoeb is the Chief Research and Development Officer and Business Leader for Energy Systems at Birla Carbon. Ann has primary responsibility for all aspects of global R&D aligned with the business strategy and growth targets. Ann earned a BS degree in Chemistry from Minnesota State University, a MS, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University.
Chad Schuchmann is chief executive officer (CEO) of Polypore International, LP.
Mr. Schuchmann spent more than nine years in the United States Navy before transitioning to lithium battery materials operations at Celgard, LLC, a Polypore International Company. He progressed through many functional roles across all Polypore businesses.
Polypore is a global company with facilities in nine countries, specializing in microporous membranes used in electric and nonelectric vehicles, energy storage systems and specialty applications. Polypore’s unique separators have evolved over the past 90 years to improve manufacturability and safety for the battery industry.
Mr. Schuchmann spent more than nine years in the United States Navy before transitioning to lithium battery materials operations at Celgard, LLC, a Polypore International Company. He progressed through many functional roles across all Polypore businesses.
Polypore is a global company with facilities in nine countries, specializing in microporous membranes used in electric and nonelectric vehicles, energy storage systems and specialty applications. Polypore’s unique separators have evolved over the past 90 years to improve manufacturability and safety for the battery industry.
Nathan J. Silvernail is a leader in the materials chemistry industry with over 15 years of experience in the development of novel materials for the automotive and industrial coatings segments. His expertise and management have led to numerous patents, publications, and the commercialization of new innovative products.
Lie Shi is the CEO of AM Batteries, a pioneer in the field of lithium-ion dry-electrode technologies. Prior, Shi served as President of Celgard, a world-renowned battery separator company that invented and commercialized a solvent-free process to produce microporous membranes for lithium-ion batteries. He also served as the Global Head of Separator Business Development for Asahi Kasei Corporation, Celgard’s parent company. He received his B.S. in Physics from Kyoto University and M.S. from the University of Michigan.
Dirk Spiers is the CEO of Spiers New Technologies Inc. (SNT). He is a pioneer in the life cycle management of advanced battery packs and in the second life use of automotive lithium-ion packs and cells for non-automotive applications. SNT is based in Oklahoma City, OK, with a second facility scheduled to open soon in California. SNT is the leading supplier of advanced battery repair, remanufacturing and refurbishing services for OEM manufacturers of xEV’s.
Prasanna Srinivasan is the head of sales, marketing and BD for GFCL EV. He is responsible for growing Gujarat Fluorochemicals’ battery business in the Americas. Previously he led marketing and BD at Parker Hannifin and DuPont focused on the automotive market. Prasanna has a MBA from Duke and MS from NC State.
Amendi Stephens represents Industrial Business Development within Alabama Power’s Economic & Community Development organization. Amendi identifies profitable economic growth opportunities across many industry sectors and is a key resource to industrial companies seeking to grow their business within the state of Alabama. Amendi has nearly 20 years of utility industry experience in various roles at Southern Company, one of the nation’s largest producers of energy.
Bjoern Stoll is the CEO & President of Digatron Power Electronics, USA, and Quench Americas. He is an accomplished business leader with a significant international experience. Bjoern’s expertise spans the cryogenic sector, energy, battery, and charging infrastructure industries. Bjoern previously served as COO and a Board Member of the largest cryogenic valve company in India and Southeast Asia. He now spearheads advancements in EV Charging Infrastructure, Energy storage, and Battery Manufacturing Equipment throughout the Americas.
Eddie Sugar is the Principal and Founder of EAS Advisors. He has more than 25-years of experience in commodities and related sectors. Prior to EAS Advisors, Eddie was the Managing Director of Jefferies & Co. in New York from 1999 until 2008, responsible for international equity sales and trading. Prior to Jefferies, Eddie worked as Managing Director for Marc Rich & Co. in Sydney, Australia.
Ben Taecker is the Chief Engineering and Operations Officer of Aqua Metals. Ben has over 20 years of experience in manufacturing and operations leadership. He has spent the last 12 years in battery recycling startups with focus on environmental regulation compliance, process development and operational excellence. At Aqua Metals, he has helped develop and commercialize a safe clean process for battery recycling.
Andrew Tattersall is the Siemens Industrial Vertical Market Lead for Batteries in the US. As a thought leader, he brings innovation and technology into the Building Envelope that impacts the facility environment, safety, and product quality. He has been delivering programs across the Battery, Automotive, Semiconductor and Chemical industry for 9 years with Siemens. Andrew graduated from the US Naval Academy and served as an Engineering Officer in the US Navy for almost 8 years before joining Siemens.
Joern Tinnemeyer is Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of EnerSys, where he is responsible for global engineering, technology development, quality and operations engineering. Joern studied applied mathematics and electrical engineering at the University of Toronto and holds a MSc in Astronautics and Space Engineering. He is chairman of the SAE Battery Management Committee developing international standards for the automotive industry.
Chris Turner is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Inventus Power and responsible for developing and integrating new technology into next-generation products and systems. He has over 20 years of multi-disciplined battery industry experience including battery technology development and strategic development of rechargeable power systems from companies such as Sony Ericsson, AER Energy Resources and SAFT Aerospace Batteries (formerly Gates Aerospace Batteries). Mr. Turner holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of South Carolina and holds several patents related to battery technology.
Mike Uhl is the President & CEO of A&D Technology, a test automation company who delivers integrated battery lab solutions and services. Offering a wide range of applications related to electrification including hardware & software-in-the-loop. Mike and been involved with battery R&D, validation, and manufacturing testing solutions across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Tim Vargo is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Stryten Energy, a U.S.-based manufacturer of stored energy solutions for the renewable energy, industrial, transportation and military and government markets. Stryten Energy helps solve the world’s most pressing energy challenges with advanced lead, lithium and vanadium flow battery solutions. Mr. Vargo has more than 40 years of leadership and managerial experience in stored energy solutions, automotive supply chain and process improvement.
Laura Wagner is the EV Battery Sustainability and Recycling Manager at General Motors, developing strategies for circularity, recycling, and tracking of batteries throughout their lifecycle. Laura spent her early career in purchasing and holds two patents in supply chain solutions. She brings over twenty years of non-profit board experience, including executive positions, and is currently an advisory board member to The Battery Show.
Dr. Rahul Walawalkar is President & MD of Customized Energy Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. He leads the Emerging Technologies domain for Customized Energy Solutions globally. Rahul founded the India Energy Storage Alliance in 2012 and serves as its President. He served as board member for Energy Storage Association, USA during 2009-15 and as the Chair for Global Energy Storage Alliance during 2018-20.
Vincent Yang is the founder, chairman and CEO of ProLogium Technology, specializing in both R&D and manufacturing of solid-state battery since 2006. Combing his over 20 years of experience in lithium battery and manufacturing experience from his years at Foxconn and LCD industry, Vincent has led the team to obtain 500 more patents.