Nevada-based American Battery Metals has promoted Ryan Melsert, its current chief technology officer (CTO), to chief executive officer (CEO).
Melsert will replace outgoing CEO Doug Cole, who said that he had been working with the former over the past two years to set the company’s direction. In his new role, Melsert will be responsible for setting up new strategic partnerships, leading investor presentations, and implementing the company’s long-term growth strategy, Cole noted in a statement on Monday.
The advanced battery metal extraction provider and lithium-ion batteries recycler indicated that the new appointment was in line with its focus on the firm’s technology development and its long-term growth. The company is also in the process of changing its name to American Battery Technology Company (ABTC) to reflect this change in direction. As ABTC, the company plans to also increase its priority towards commercial manufacturing of advanced battery material.
Melsert has worked with ABTC for the past two years as CTO, prior to which he was with Tesla for around four years as one of the founding design engineers for the carmaker’s gigafactory in Reno. He has also worked at the research and development manager of advanced energy and transportation technologies group at the Southern Research Institute.