Clean energy investor Glenlith has hired outgoing Albemarle executive John Mitchell to run its Chilean cobalt subsidiary. Mitchell has run Albemarle’s lithium business since 2015 when it acquired smaller rival Rockwood Holdings. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2018, with a mix of cash and stock that will be used for further expansion into Chile, according to people familiar with the matter. Albemarle rival Orocobre has been searching for a new CEO, but Mitchell's contract bars him from working for a direct rival for two years.
Clean energy investor Glenlith has hired outgoing Albemarle executive John Mitchell to run its Chilean cobalt subsidiary. Mitchell has run Albemarle’s lithium business since 2015 when it acquired smaller rival Rockwood Holdings. Mitchell’s exit from Albemarle surprised the industry. Albemarle rival Orocobre has been searching for a new CEO, but Mitchell's contract bars him from working for a direct rival for two years.