Cirba Solutions names chief operating officer

Charlotte, North Carolina-based battery recycling and materials company Cirba Solutions has appointed Walter Sopp as its chief operating officer, effective July 1.

Sopp brings more than three decades of operational and leadership experience from a range of areas including global lithium manufacturing, strategic planning, operational efficiency, greenfield/brownfield construction and manufacturing.

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Sopp’s previous operational experience includes various leadership roles in the United States Marine Corps as a defense consultant and, most recently, at Albemarle Corp. as the chief operating officer of Australia and the vice president of manufacturing for the Asia Pacific region. At Albemarle, he held numerous operational roles and oversaw the company’s first expansion projects for the construction, commissioning and startup of lithium hydroxide manufacturing facilities in China and Australia.

“I am honored to join Cirba Solutions and work with David [Klanecky], the executive leadership team and the operations enterprise to help grow our operational footprint during this period of rapid expansion,” Sopp says. “Cirba Solutions is transforming how critical materials are recovered and supplied to the battery supply chain. Their values, purpose, leadership and focus on sustainability in the clean energy sector attracted me to the role. I look forward to driving continued success during this next stage of the company’s development.”

Sopp will be responsible for enhancing operational performance, growing the manufacturing footprint and supporting the sustainable transformation of bringing critical battery metals to the battery supply chain.

“We are pleased to have Walt join the Cirba Solutions executive leadership team,” says Klanecky, the company’s president and CEO. “As one of the most experienced operational leaders in critical minerals refinement, he brings both the expertise, strategic thinking and leadership to the battery recycling space that is unparalleled. With a proven track record of driving operational efficiency, resiliency and fostering a culture of collaboration, he represents our core values and purpose to empower an electric future.”