Cirba Solutions Announces Walter Sopp Chief Operating Officer

Experienced operations executive, bringing years of leadership experience to drive operational excellence and rapid manufacturing growth to Cirba Solutions.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cirba Solutions, the premier battery recycling and battery materials company for end-of-life batteries and gigafactory manufacturing scrap, announces the appointment of Walter Sopp as Chief Operating Officer effective July 1, 2024. Walt brings over three decades of operational excellence and leadership experience from a range of areas including global lithium manufacturing, strategic planning, operational efficiency, greenfield/brownfield construction and manufacturing excellence.

Walt's previous operational experience includes various leadership roles in the United States Marine Corps, as a Defense consultant, and most recently at Albemarle Corporation as the Chief Operating Officer of Australia and the Vice President of Manufacturing for the Asia Pacific region. At Albemarle, Walt held numerous operational roles and oversaw the company's first expansion projects for the construction, commissioning and start-up of lithium hydroxide manufacturing facilities in China and Australia.

"I am honored to join Cirba Solutions and work with David, the executive leadership team and the operations enterprise to help grow our operational footprint during this period of rapid expansion. 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," says Walter Sopp. "I look forward to driving continued success during this next stage of the company's development."

As Cirba Solutions' Chief Operating Officer, Walt 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. 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," says David Klanecky, president and CEO of Cirba Solutions. "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."

About Cirba Solutions
Cirba Solutions is a premier battery recycling materials and management company using advanced technology to extract critical materials from scrap and used batteries and then supplying those battery-grade metals back into the supply chain. The only vertically integrated team with an operational, differentiated platform and a full suite of capabilities. Creating a circular battery supply chain is critical to ensuring that today's resources are used to their fullest potential.

https://www.cirbasolutions.com/
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SOURCE Cirba Solutions