Lithium senior executive Brian Talbot is set to join lithium exploration and development company Atlas Lithium Corporation as COO and a member of the company’s board of directors on April 1.

This strengthening of the executive team comes on the heels of the company’s early revenue strategy, with anticipated first revenues and production commencing in the first quarter of this year.

The company describes Talbot as one of the leading authorities in lithium globally with an “extensive record” as a technical and operational leader throughout his career, having had over 30 years of experience in mining operations.

In particular, he has extensive experience in dense media separation plant development and operation, having worked at major lithium companies where he built a strong track record of operational performance.

Talbot was founder and director of RTEK International DMCC, a consulting firm that advises lithium developers and producers.

He served as COO of Sigma Lithium Corporation, a Canadian lithium producer with operations in Brazil, from July 2022 to September 2023. At Sigma Lithium, he oversaw the development of that company’s flagship Grota do Cirilo project from construction through commissioning and operations.

From 2017 to 2022, Talbot held positions as GM and head of Australian operations at Galaxy Resources, through mergers now part of Arcadium Lithium, one of the world’s largest fully integrated lithium companies with a current market capitalisation of around $4.7-billion.

While at Galaxy Resources, Atlas notes that Talbot was “instrumental” in increasing the production at Mt Cattlin – a hard-rock lithium mine in Ravensthorpe, Western Australia – by 100%, which resulted in record production.

“With extensive experience designing, planning, building, and managing profitable mining operations globally, Mr. Talbot has a proven track record of driving operational excellence. His leadership has consistently improved efficiency, identified commercial opportunities, extended mine life, and maximised safety across diverse projects and regions,” the company expresses.

“We wholeheartedly welcome Brian to our board of directors and to lead our development and exploration technical teams," says Atlas Lithium chairperson and CEO Marc Fogassa. 

“After visiting and studying in detail Atlas Lithium’s properties, I firmly believe there is a strong alignment between my expertise in expediting hard-rock lithium projects to production and the solid foundation that the company has already built.

"This opportunity allows me to further advance Atlas Lithium’s strategic direction as a member of its board of directors, while also fostering my own professional growth as a leader in the lithium space,” adds Talbot.