Volt Resources Ltd (ASX:VRC) has appointed Prashant S Chintawar to the role of CEO, effective from the start of 2023.
Chintawar is a global business leader with a track record of creating and scaling up new specialty material business, growing existing chemical businesses, profit and loss management, negotiating and structuring deals and industrialisation.
Passionate about business growth
The company believes he is passionate about business growth using people, as well as commercial and operational skills. He has a PhD in Chemical Engineering and a management certificate in finance.
Chintawar joined the graphite producer and battery anode material developer on September 1, 2022, as senior advisor, Battery Minerals, having led the US industrialisation strategy for a top 10 global EV and ESS battery producer, as well as previously serving as director, Global Business Development and Sales, for leading global chemical company BASF.
Since joining Volt, he has quickly displayed a very high level of proficiency in his key objectives, including the development of the company’s rapidly scaling downstream business, assessment of Battery Anode Material business activities in the US and Europe, organisation structure, development plans, and planning for small scale, and producer level, Battery Anode Material facilities.
Benchmark-setting company
The promotion of US-based Chintawar marks a key milestone in the work done to position Volt to become a benchmark-setting company in this industry.
While mining and processing of raw materials is the foundation of the company, Volt’s aim is to derive greater future value creation from the manufacturing of graphite-based battery materials within the US and European markets.
Over the last 18-24 months, Volt has pursued a strategy designed to capitalise upon the vast, and rapidly growing, opportunity in becoming a leading integrated supplier of natural graphite anode material to the battery industry.
In other movements at the company, managing director Trevor Matthews will transition to executive director – Finance and Commercial while chief operating officer Justine MacDonald will take on a greater role in the operation and advancement of the company’s graphite assets.
Huge future value-driver
Non-executive chairman Asimwe Kabunga said: “Since joining Volt, Prashant’s high-level industry experience and deep industry networks have shone through in the work he has done and the projects he has underway.
“We are thrilled that he has now accepted the role of CEO for Volt and believe that having such highly qualified company leadership located at the geographic heart of the market opportunity is a huge future value-driver for the company.
“We thank Trevor Matthews for serving as Volt’s managing director for six years and look forward to continuing to work closely with him as he transitions into an executive director role, where he will continue to drive the company’s interests.”
“Volt has high-quality graphite assets and high-value existing relationships along the battery value chain and the appointment allows me to fully leverage my skills and networks,” Chintawar said.
“It also comes at a time when the battery sector is enjoying robust market dynamics with automotive OEMs pushing ever harder for more localised supply chains and governments providing policy and financial support.
“Volt’s assets and this market backdrop combine to offer Volt a truly unique and transformational growth opportunity, that I am privileged to take leadership of.”