Leadership for a Lithium Future: Insights from Industry Experts

The global energy transition is accelerating the demand for critical minerals: none more so than lithium, a key element in electric mobility batteries, grid-scale and home energy storage, and emerging renewable technologies.

In the near term, however, the market faces a paradox: oversupply has weighed heavily on prices despite the strong underlying longer-term fundamentals. The industry has experienced what many describe as a “lithium winter”. Yet some observers believe this downturn could be reaching an inflection point, with the recent price spike and supply adjustments hinting at a potential market rebalancing. In parallel, traditional extraction methods while proven, are increasingly viewed as slow, environmentally intensive, and geographically constrained to provide the reliable supply chains needed over the coming decades.    

Ron Mitchell (ex-Chair LME Lithium Committee and ex-Managing Director Global Lithium Resources) notes:  

With global lithium demand continuing to grow at an estimated 15-20% CAGR, a substantial number of new projects will need to advance to production in the coming years to meet future supply requirements. However, the sustained period of relatively low lithium prices has resulted in widespread curtailment of project development activities, including exploration, resource definition, metallurgical test work, and feasibility studies. This underinvestment in the technical de-risking of the next generation of lithium assets could constrain future supply, potentially triggering a sharp price rebound as demand growth outpaces new project readiness.

Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) has emerged as a promising technological frontier, offering faster, more sustainable, and potentially more scalable and resilient lithium production. It could unlock access to vast brine resources in regions previously considered uneconomical or environmentally sensitive. Notwithstanding the technical promise, relatively few DLE technologies have yet been proven at sustained commercial scale with most still at an early or pre-revenue stage. The path from pilot plant to production remains fraught with challenges and complexity. New technologies are being tested, adapted, or abandoned in real time. 

As Joe Lowry (The Global Lithium Podcast) continues to point out, lithium is a chemical and not a commodity, and DLE is a chemical treatment process, not a traditional mining exercise. 

Amid the uncertainty, one thing is clear, DLE’s success will not hinge on technology alone. Capital and innovation are necessary, but not sufficient. Ultimately, the defining question is: who will have the leadership to turn technological promise into commercial reality in this relatively immature market? 

• Can early-stage teams evolve into operators of industrial-scale facilities?  
• Do DLE ventures have the leadership strength to attract capital and build trust? 
• How do companies recruit and retain leaders capable of navigating complex regulatory, geopolitical, and technical landscapes? 

To better understand these challenges, we spoke with senior executives and thought leaders across the DLE ecosystem. The findings in this paper reflect their collective insights into the leadership demands facing the sector, now and in the years ahead. 

Key Challenges in Scaling DLE: Where Leadership is at the Core

Scaling DLE technologies from pilot to commercial production is not just a technological hurdle, it is a human one. Leaders across the sector emphasised several critical challenges that underscore the need for highly capable executive teams. 

Operationalising unproven technologies at scale 

Early-stage teams often thrive in a culture of experimentation and rapid innovation, where failure is seen as part of the learning process. However, moving from lab-scale R&D to industrial production requires leadership to guide the organisation through a profound cultural and operational shift. Smaller companies can have difficulty separating corporate staff from project staff and try to fix the problem by finding or hiring people they think can do both.  However, they also need specialist consultants to complete technical process related scopes of work.  This can be a difficult balance, and as with most small companies, there is a strong need to balance cashflow with project development all to the benefit of shareholders 

The transition requires building cross-functional teams skilled not only in innovation but also in industrial-scale project management, operational excellence, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance. Leaders must establish a robust culture of operational reliability while preserving the flexibility necessary for continued technological refinement. All while keeping corporate overheads down and providing shareholder value or at least not destruction of shareholder capital. 

Successful operationalisation means balancing the urgency to prove the technical applicability of the chosen flowsheet when deployed at a particular site (because not all brines have the same chemical composition); scale with a delicate approach that mitigates risk; manages costs and ensure consistent high standards, without extinguishing the innovative spirit that drove early breakthroughs. 

Balancing agility with process and governance 

Leaders in the DLE sector must carefully balance the need for speed to market and agility of a technical approach with the introduction of robust processes, systems, structure, governance and accountability. Project Development companies often thrive on this agility and the environment of rapid change, but as they scale and attract significant investor interest, the more informal approaches to project governance, and potentially management, can no longer suffice.  

Implementing appropriate governance frameworks and standardised processes is essential in any industry to ensure compliance, manage risk, and deliver predictable outcomes. At the same time, leaders must avoid stifling innovation and responsiveness, preserving a culture that can adapt quickly to technological advances, market shifts, and stakeholder demands. 

This balancing act requires nuanced leadership by setting clear expectations and processes while empowering teams to remain entrepreneurial and dynamic under increasing scrutiny. 

Talent scarcity in a nascent industry 

The pool of executives with direct experience in DLE is very limited. As a nascent and rapidly evolving field, DLE lacks a deep bench of leaders who have successfully taken this technology from pilot to commercial scale. As a result, companies must compete for talent with transferable expertise, often drawing from adjacent industries such as water treatment, oil and gas, chemical processing, and renewable energy. 

Attracting this talent is not easy. While these candidates may bring relevant operational and technical capabilities, they are often unfamiliar with the specific technical challenges and potential of DLE and may be hesitant to step into a higher risk, early-stage environment. 

To succeed, companies must do more than simply identify suitable candidates. They must be able to clearly articulate their vision, the scale of the opportunity, and the uniqueness of their approach. Crafting and communicating a compelling story about the leadership team, the technology, the strategic roadmap, and the impact on the energy transition is essential. This is particularly important for companies with a lower market capitalisation who may be competing with larger, more established players. The ability to position the company and inspire confidence can make the difference between securing a high-impact hire or losing them to another sector entirely.  Often the compelling proposition is a pathway to a strategic partnership with a PE firm, or a royalty company and maybe even a tie up with a Japanese or Korean firm who are interested in security of supply not just ROI. 

Public markets and investor expectations 

Many DLE companies are now publicly listed or backed by institutional investors, private equity, venture capital or strategic partners. The growing influx of capital signals investor confidence in the sector’s potential but it also brings heightened scrutiny, ownership, accountability, and pressure to deliver. 

Leaders need to be skilled communicators, able to articulate complex developments in a way that resonates with investors, analysts, and the broader market. This includes translating engineering progress into investor-relevant milestones, clearly framing risks and mitigations, and managing expectations over long and uncertain development timelines. 

In an emerging field where commercial success is still largely unproven, the market watches leadership teams closely, evaluating not only their track record but also their judgment and consistency over time. Errors in communication or execution can result in loss of investor confidence and difficulty raising future rounds of capital. 

Strong leaders understand how to balance transparency with optimism, how to engage productively with investors and boards, and how to uphold the governance standards expected of a public or institutionally backed company, all while keeping their teams focused on long-term goals. 

Regulatory complexity and uncertainty  

Leaders must navigate a complex series of environmental regulations, permitting timelines, and local community sensitivities. Each region presents unique legal frameworks, stakeholder expectations, and timelines that can dramatically impact project viability and speed to market.  

Success requires managing multiple audiences and these diverse expectations,from regulators to indigenous communities, while maintaining operational momentum. Leadership must not only understand these complexities themselves but also build teams that can proactively manage them by assembling legal, ESG, and community relations expertise early. The ability to anticipate and navigate jurisdictional differences can become a competitive advantage and help accelerate time to market. 

Building credibility and trust 

Ultimately, investors and commercial partners want to know: “Can this management team really deliver?” In a sector where few have a long track record, leadership credibility is now a gating factor for funding and commercial partnerships. Demonstrating that the management team has the right blend of operational experience, technical understanding, stakeholder management, and execution capability is vital.  

Companies must not only find leaders with the right mix of skills but also position their leadership team as capable of scaling projects, managing risk, and navigating uncertainty. This often requires conveying a clear and convincing narrative about the team’s background, strategy, and shared vision, one that instils confidence in capital providers and strategic partners.  

Skills and Leadership Experience Critical for Scaling DLE

Success in DLE requires a unique blend of technical understanding, operational rigor, and commercial fluency which is often drawn from adjacent sectors. The leaders we spoke to identified several core attributes: 

Operational and project execution expertise 

Moving from lab to pilot to commercial requires leaders experienced in stage-gate processes and executing complex engineering projects. Leaders must be comfortable managing timelines, budgets, and technical risks with operational rigour. 

Cross-sector skill transfer 

Leaders from large-scale, energy, chemicals, and oil & gas industries bring vital skills in commissioning plants, process engineering, supply chain logistics, and handling hazardous materials. These leaders understand industrialisation and bring a mindset shaped by safety-critical, capital-intensive environments where high standards, environmental stewardship, and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable. This experience can be invaluable as the DLE sector moves from pilot projects to full-scale industrialisation. Leaders from these backgrounds introduce discipline in areas such as project management, quality control, and operational risk, while helping to establish processes that are robust enough to withstand regulatory scrutiny and investor expectations. Their ability to set standards early can create a culture of rigour that reduces execution risk and builds stakeholder confidence. 

Transitioning successfully 

However, very few senior candidates are able to make the transition from a very large company to a much smaller one where a more hands-on approach to work is needed, and where costs are an ever-present factor.  Leaders who thrived with abundant resources, large teams, and clearly defined functions often find themselves in lean organisations where every decision carries financial weight. The absence of established infrastructure means senior executives must adopt a more practical approach, wearing multiple hats and engaging directly in operational details they may not have touched for years. This transition demands more than technical expertise. It requires adaptability, resilience, and a willingness to recalibrate expectations. The most successful leaders are those who can blend their big-company discipline with entrepreneurial agility, bringing structure without stifling innovation. They are comfortable with ambiguity, able to prioritise ruthlessly, and capable of making trade-offs that balance long-term growth with immediate cost discipline. These individuals are rare, but when identified, they become critical enablers of scaling DLE from concept to commercial reality. 

Commercial acumen and market positioning

There is growing need for leaders who understand commercial strategy beyond technology development including negotiating off-take agreements, licencing proprietary technology and bespoke process developments, understanding pricing dynamics, and positioning battery-grade lithium products derived from DLE versus hard processing, in a competitive market. Success will come not just from new tech but from applying proven methods profitably in domestic and international supply chains.

Cultural leadership and scaling teams 

As companies grow from small, informal teams to larger, structured organisations, leaders must balance maintaining innovation and agility while building systems and processes that support scale, talent retention, and cultural alignment.

Strategic partnerships and regulatory navigation 

Leaders must be adept at navigating diverse regulatory environments and have the ability to co-ordinate activities and comply with environmental, technical and trade regulations. 

Risk appetite and talent transition 

The talent exists in traditional energy, oil & gas and chemical sectors, but individuals must be willing to transition to a more risk – reward or startup environment. This risk tolerance gap is a major barrier to scaling DLE operations successfully in certain regions like North America and Europe. 

Broader market and geopolitical understanding 

Leaders need to integrate an understanding of geopolitical influences, funding climates, and market volatility into decision-making, ensuring companies remain agile and commercially viable during scaling phases. 

Building the Right Team for DLE Success

While many DLE ventures are not yet ready for a full C-suite or formal board, carefully chosen leadership hires, whether executive, advisory, or board-level, are critical at key inflection points in the company’s growth. The ideal team is highly experienced, tightly aligned, and deeply cross-functional. 

Balance of technical and commercial leadership 

Successful DLE teams require both technical leadership (process or chemical engineering, operations, geo-chemistry) and commercial leadership (finance, strategy, partnerships). Few companies get this balance right early on, leading to bottlenecks as they scale.

A ‘Player-Coach’ mentality 

Early-stage companies need executives who are willing to be both strategic and hands-on. Leaders must execute, not just advise, especially in resource-constrained environments. 

Flexible, multi-disciplinary teams

 The best teams are adaptable, blending experience from mining, energy, oil & gas, cleantech, and industrial backgrounds. Some executives also noted that candidates with geothermal or hydrogen experience tend to transition more smoothly into DLE contexts. 

Chemistry and trust at the top 

Trust among the executive team and board is non-negotiable. Leadership teams must be able to challenge each other while staying aligned, especially under pressure. 

Founder transition planning 

Founders can bring the original vision, energy, and technical insight that drive early-stage progress. However, as companies grow, they will need to bring in additional expertise in areas such as operations, capital markets, or regulatory engagement. Companies must assess when and how to evolve the leadership team, including potentially transitioning the CEO role, in a way that preserves cultural continuity and maintains strategic momentum. 

Implications for Investors and Boards

Boards and investors also have a crucial role to play in strengthening leadership capability in DLE ventures: 

Avoid underinvesting in leadership  

Leadership hiring should not wait until the company is “ready” to scale. Delaying key hires can stall projects, impact funding, and erode credibility with partners. 

Help bridge the talent risk gap 

Investors can support leadership development by providing coaching, helping attract mentors from outside the immediate network and fostering collaboration with experts from other regions such as Asia. 

Evaluate founding teams objectively 

Backing passionate founders is important but so is assessing whether they can lead and scale. Boards must be prepared to evolve leadership structures as the company matures. 

Push for diversity of background and thought 

Bringing in leaders with varied experiences, across energy, chemicals, and even artificial intelligence, can drive innovation and improve execution. 

Consolidation and focus on proven technology 

Is there a need to invent new DLE technologies? Many observers argue there are too many early-stage ventures making only incremental improvements to existing DLE methods which are already well established in certain regions. The real opportunity could be to consolidate and apply these technologies at scale to domestic resources. Assembling teams that can merge/acquire and successfully integrate, delivering early revenue, will build market confidence and momentum, thus attracting capital, talent, and strategic partners.

Policy and institutional engagement 

A recurring theme from leaders we spoke with is the critical importance of building and nurturing institutional networks, educating stakeholders and engaging with policymakers for frameworks that incentivise local lithium supply, ensure fair permitting timelines, and reduce mid-term price pressures can accelerate the road to commercialisation. Here, investors and industrial partners with established networks bring “extra-financial value”, in the form of credibility and access to supply agreements for instance, that can be just as important as the capital itself. Certain individuals who have been involved in the industry for many years have significant influence on how the industry is perceived.  

A deeper look at strategy is warranted, particularly around technical vs. battery-grade pathways. While much attention has been given to producing battery-grade lithium directly, integrated production and refining is not the only solution. Some industry leaders noted that interim strategies such as producing technical-grade lithium or lithium chloride, with refining managed by a specialist partner, could offer a faster and more commercially viable path. There is a critical size for refineries to be economically viable. This is no different to other industries where independent refiners may equire agreements with several producers to enable critical mass. Indeed, this approach of consolidating feedstock is already happening in the Americas – off-taking lithium chloride from several oil producers, using water from wells, processing using DLE technology and ultimately producing a refined product. In short, having leaders who are smart about positioning in the value chain could reduce the pressure on early-stage DLE companies.

Leadership Will Define the DLE Era

DLE sits at the intersection of chemistry, technology, and available development capital.  So, some of the most exciting leadership opportunities will involve the process design, attraction of downstream partnerships and customers, as well as shareholder returns, all while keeping internal costs low.  While this may sound like a well-trodden path for the junior resources sector, there are few examples of successful downstream integration that go all the way to an end user outcome.  DLE has potential to fulfil that market niche if flexible and long-term leadership thinking is applied.   

As Dan Fraser, Managing Director of Hydro Lit says: 

Australia’s lithium future will not be defined by a single processing pathway. Brine projects in the Cooper Basin of South Australia, in particular, highlight how varied chemistry, temperature, pressure, and impurity profiles can be. Treating DLE as a monolithic solution risks repeating past mistakes. Leadership teams that succeed will be those who treat lithium as a chemical business first, and a mining business second. In short, staying open-minded and technology agnostic will keep projects to the left-hand side of the cost curve. 

The companies that succeed will be those that invest early and thoughtfully in the technology and the teams that lead them.  

About the Authors

Russell Kalam is a Partner at Stanton Chase London, specialising in financial services, private equity, and natural resources and energy. Before joining Stanton Chase, Russell spent over two decades in corporate and investment banking, including roles as Senior Banker and Sector Leader for Energy and Private Equity. Throughout his career, he has advised C-level leadership teams on complex strategic challenges, recognising early on the critical importance of having the right people in place to accelerate businesses and shape high-performance cultures. Russell brings extensive commercial, industry, and product expertise to his executive search work, acting as a strategic partner and advisor to clients across senior executive and functional leadership positions. 

Greg Preston is a Managing Director and Global Subsector Leader for Mining and Minerals Processing at Stanton Chase, based in the Denver and Perth offices. With over 20 years of experience in executive search, Greg focuses on senior technical, operational, and project leadership roles within the natural resources and energy sectors. His career includes a global strategic advisory role with a Tier One EPCM firm and consulting for major miners including BHP, Rio Tinto, and Vale across Australia, Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific. Greg has gained critical experience across a range of commodities including lithium (carbonate and hydroxide), copper, gold, rare earths, and nickel, making him exceptionally well positioned to assist clients navigating the leadership challenges of the energy transition. 

About the Interviewees

Dan Fraser is the Managing Director of Hydro Lit, a privately owned company, holding Australia’s largest JORC-compliant inferred lithium resource: the Cooper Lithium Project. The Cooper Lithium Project is the country’s only lithium brine project. Dan is also the founder of Ironside Capital, a boutique corporate advisory and capital raising firm specialising in resources. He brings valuable experience from his tenure at Fortescue Metals Group, one of the world’s largest iron ore producers. Dan is the founding Non-Executive Chairman of DingoTechnology, a specialized green recycling company focused on cleaning up the mining industry by recycling lithium tetraborate. 

Ron Mitchell has more than 25 years’ experience in senior commercial, strategy, sales and business development roles including 15 years specialising in lithium, battery materials, and critical minerals. He has held senior executive and board-level roles with ASX and offshore public companies in the global battery value chain and electric vehicle ecosystem. 

Ron is currently CEO of Firebird Metals. He was previously Managing Director of Global Lithium Resources Limited and held senior executive roles at Tianqi Lithium Corporation and Talison Lithium. He was also elected the inaugural Chairman of the London Metal Exchange (LME) Lithium and Cobalt Committee, a role he held for more than five years. 

Other participants remain anonymous in line with their preferences