Senior Management
Jonathan Evans
Director, President & CEO
Jonathan Evans
Director, President & CEO
Jonathan Evans serves at the Chief Executive Officer and President of Lithium Americas Corp. Jon has more than 20 years of operations and general management experience across businesses of various sizes and industry applications. Previously, he served as Vice President and General Manager for the Lithium Division at FMC Corporation (USA), and as the Chief Operating Officer of DiversiTech Corporation, a portfolio company of the private equity group, Permira. Jon has also held executive management roles at Arysta LifeScience, AMRI Corporation and General Electric. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Clarkson University and an MSc from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
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John Kanellitsas
Executive Vice Chair
John Kanellitsas
Executive Vice Chair
John Kanellitsas is the Executive Vice Chair of Lithium Americas Corp. He is now primarily responsible for business development and capital markets strategies. John joined the company as a Director in 2011 and served as a former CEO until the company’s merger with Western Lithium USA Corp. in September 2015. He has over 25 years of experience in the investment banking and asset management industries. John co-founded and was a partner of Geologic Resource Partners, LLP, where he served as its Chief Operating Officer from 2004 to 2014. Prior to Geologic, Mr. Kanellitsas was employed by Sun Valley Gold, LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. in New York and San Francisco. Mr. Kanellitsas has an MBA from the University of California in Los Angeles and a BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University.
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Pablo Mercado
Chief Financial Officer
Pablo Mercado
Chief Financial Officer
Pablo Mercado serves as Executive Vice president and Chief Financial Officer of Lithium Americas Corp. Pablo has over 23 years of experience in finance and corporate development in the energy industry. Prior to joining Lithium Americas, he served as Chief Financial Officer of EnLink Midstream, LLC, and prior to that, as Chief Financial Officer of Forum Energy Technologies, Inc., both US public companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Pablo started his professional career in 1998. He was an investment banker at Bank of America, UBS and Credit Suisse, until joining Forum in 2011. Pablo holds a BBA from the Cox School of Business and a BA in Economics from the Dedman College, both of Southern Methodist University, and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
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Ignacio Celorrio
President, Latin America
Ignacio Celorrio
President, Latin America
Ignacio Celorrio has over twenty-five years of experience counseling international clients in legal and institutional affairs in the mining sector. Through his practice, he has engaged with federal and provincial authorities, NGO’s and other civic society participants in every Argentine mining province, as well as several Canadian and Australian institutions. In addition to several legal associations, Ignacio has been a Board Member of CAEM (Argentine Chamber of Mining Entrepreneurs) for almost ten years and a direct participant in a majority of Argentinean mining companies associations. His extensive academic practice includes degrees from the Argentine Catholic University, Austral University and the University of Buenos Aires Law School, he is currently the Chair of Administrative Law at the University of Argentine Social Museum. Ignacio has also been included in several top-lawyers lists for excellence in service by Chambers & Partners, Best Lawyers and Who’s Who Legal Mining and in the 40 under 40 lawyers list for Argentinean attorneys.
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Alexi Zawadzki
President of North American Operations
Alexi Zawadzki
President of North American Operations
Alexi Zawadzki trained as a hydrologist with a Master’s degree from Wilfrid Laurier University (1997), Alexi is President of North American Operations and CEO of Lithium Nevada. Alexi has 20 years of experience developing mining and energy projects in roles of increasing responsibility, both as a consultant and as the owner. Following 10 years working for an international engineering consultancy, in 2007 Alexi formed a publicly-traded renewable energy company resulting in the construction and operation of two hydroelectric facilities. Since 2014, Alexi has been focused on the lithium sector as an enabler of renewable energy technologies.
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Franco Mignacco
Director, President of Minera Exar
Franco Mignacco
Director, President of Minera Exar
Franco Mignacco is the President of Minera Exar S.A., the operator of the Cauchari Olaroz project co-owned by Lithium Americas and Ganfeng. He was previously the Vice Chairman of Lithium Americas, prior to its merger with Western Lithium USA Corp., from June 2013 to September 2015. In 2021 Franco was appointed the President of the Argentinian Chamber of Mining Entrepreneurs (CAEM). Franco resides in Argentina and holds an MBA from San Andres University and an honours degree in mining from Universidad Austral, both located in Buenos Aires.
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Richard Gerspacher
Senior Vice President, Capital Projects
Richard Gerspacher
Senior Vice President, Capital Projects
Richard Gerspacher is responsible for the Company’s capital projects strategy. He has over 20 years of leadership experience in developing and executing successful projects throughout the world in a variety of sectors including industrial minerals, metals mining and power generation. Prior to joining Lithium Americas, Richard worked for Fluor Corporation, a global engineering and construction company where he served as Vice President and Projects Director for a lithium project in Australia. He also served as Chairman of Fluor’s Latin America Talent Development Team and as a member of their Global Project Management Talent Development Team. Richard holds a Professional Engineer designation, and has a Bachelor’s degree in Civil-Structural Engineering from the University of Detroit and a Master of Business Administration degree from Duke University.
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Aubree Barnum
Vice President, Human Resources
Aubree Barnum
Vice President, Human Resources
Aubree Barnum is a human resources professional with over 10 years of experience in municipal and mining industry human resources leadership roles. Prior to joining Lithium Americas, Aubree served as Vice President Human Resources for Nevada Copper Corp. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Physiology from the University of Oregon and a Master of Business Administration/Human Resource Management degree from Columbia Southern University. She holds a Certified Professional (CP) designation from the Society of Human Resource Management and is a member of the National Society for Leadership and Success.
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Virginia Morgan
Vice President, Investor Relations and ESG
Virginia Morgan
Sr. Director, Investor Relations and ESG
Virginia (Ginny) Morgan is a communications and investor relations professional, specializing in communicating corporate strategies and delivering key messages to a wide range of stakeholders, from Indigenous communities to Wall Street. Her professional experience of over 20 years includes roles in IR, ESG and Communications, most recently with Capstone Mining, Goldcorp and Avalon Rare Metals. Her work earned Capstone a nomination for Best Overall Investor Relations 2020 (Small Cap) by IR Magazine Canada, and while at Goldcorp, she contributed towards multiple CPA Canada Awards including Excellence in Corporate and Sustainability Reporting and Electronic Disclosure. She has a Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurial Management from Royal Roads University, a Publicity & Public Relations Certificate from the University of Toronto and completed Business Sustainability Management from the University of Cambridge.
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Alex Shulga
Vice President, Finance
Alex Shulga
Vice President, Finance
Alex Shulga is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA-CGA) and a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA, UK). Prior to joining Lithium Americas, Alex was a senior manager in audit and assurance practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. He has over 14 years of experience in the mining sector focusing on financial reporting, compliance, budgeting, financings, business modelling, mergers & acquisitions, tax and treasury. Alex is also a Director and Sponsorship Committee Chair of the Financial Executives International Vancouver Chapter.
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Carlos Galli
Sr. Director, Project Development, Latin America
Carlos Galli
Sr. Director, Project Development, Latin America
Carlos Galli is responsible for overseeing the technical development and expansion of the Company’s Latin American projects, Caucharí-Olaroz and Pastos Grandes. He has over ten years of experience leading and managing the development lithium brine operations at multiple projects in Argentina. Prior to joining Lithium Americas, Mr. Galli worked as a consultant specialized in lithium brine processing for SRK Consulting and Norlab, a Jujuy-based company specializing in the study and development of brine processing. Previously, Mr. Galli worked as the COO for LSC Lithium, focused on the technical development of lithium projects in Salta and Jujuy. Prior to that, Mr. Galli was the Industrial and General Manager of Operations, at ADY Resources’ Salar de Rincón. Mr. Galli holds an Industrial Engineering degree from the Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina and an MBA and Master of Finance from EUDE Business School, Spain.
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José Francesconi
Projects & Technical Services, Latin America
José Francesconi
Projects & Technical Services, Latin America
José Francesconi is responsible for overseeing the development and construction of the Company’s Latin American projects, including the Caucharí-Olaroz project. He has more than thirty years of management experience leading the development and execution of large capital projects in petrochemical, oil and gas, fertilizer and energy industries. Prior to joining Lithium Americas, Mr. Francesconi worked for Worley, a global engineering company where he served as Operations Director and Board Member for Argentina. He was accountable for the development and completion of Argentine projects for oil and gas, mining, agriculture and infrastructure, including leading the teams through transitions from CH2M Hill to Jacobs, then to Worley. Prior to that, Mr. Francesconi developed an extensive career with Dow Chemical where he held several leadership roles and international assignments in Canada, USA and the Netherlands. In his last position he served as Associate Engineering Director, leading the Dow Engineering Organization towards project execution at sites in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Chile. Mr Francesconi then joined Bureau Veritas where he served as PMC Project Director and delivered the $1 billion world-scale Urea and Ammonia project for YPFB (Yacimientos Petroliferos Bolivianos). Mr Francesconi holds a Chemical Engineering degree from Universidad Nacional de Sur, Argentina.
Close [-]Directors
George Ireland
Board Chair
George Ireland
Board Chair
George Ireland has over forty years of experience in the mining and metals industry in positions ranging from field geologist to banking and venture capital. George founded Geologic Resource Partners in 2004 and serves as Chief Investment Officer and CEO. From 2000 to 2004, he was General Partner of Ring Partners, LP, a predecessor investment partnership to GRP. From 1993 to 2000, George was an analyst for and a partner in Knott Partners LP where he specialized in resource investing. Prior to 1993, George held a variety of positions at Cleveland-Cliffs Inc, The Chase Manhattan Bank, ASARCO Inc. and VenturesTrident LP. George graduated from the University of Michigan with a BS from the School of Natural Resources and is a Fellow in the Society of Economic Geologists. George also serves on the boards of Amerigo Resources Ltd., Heliostar Metals Corp. and Merrill & Ring Inc., a private timber company in the US.
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John Kanellitsas
Executive Vice Chair
John Kanellitsas
Executive Vice Chair
John Kanellitsas is the Executive Vice Chair of Lithium Americas Corp. He is now primarily responsible for business development and capital markets strategies. John joined the company as a Director in 2011 and served as a former CEO until the company’s merger with Western Lithium USA Corp. in September 2015. He has over 25 years of experience in the investment banking and asset management industries. John co-founded and was a partner of Geologic Resource Partners, LLP, where he served as its Chief Operating Officer from 2004 to 2014. Prior to Geologic, Mr. Kanellitsas was employed by Sun Valley Gold, LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. in New York and San Francisco. Mr. Kanellitsas has an MBA from the University of California in Los Angeles and a BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University.
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Jonathan Evans
Director, CEO & President
Jonathan Evans
Director, CEO & President
Jonathan Evans serves at the Chief Executive Officer and President of Lithium Americas Corp. Jon has more than 20 years of operations and general management experience across businesses of various sizes and industry applications. Previously, he served as Vice President and General Manager for the Lithium Division at FMC Corporation (USA), and as the Chief Operating Officer of DiversiTech Corporation, a portfolio company of the private equity group, Permira. Jon has also held executive management roles at Arysta LifeScience, AMRI Corporation and General Electric. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Clarkson University and an MSc from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
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Fabiana Chubbs
Director
Fabiana Chubbs
Director
Fabiana Chubbs was the Chief Financial Officer of Eldorado Gold Corporation from 2011 to 2018. She joined Eldorado in 2007 and led Treasury and Risk Management functions until accepting the Chief Financial Officer position. Prior to Eldorado, she was a Senior Manager with PwC Canada. During her ten years at PwC Canada, she specialized in audit of public mining and technology companies. Fabiana started her career in her native Argentina, with experience divided between PwC Argentina and IBM. Fabiana holds dual degrees from the University of Buenos Aires, a Certified Public Accountant bachelor’s degree, and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. She is a Chartered Public Accountant in Canada. Fabiana also serves on the board of Royal Gold, Inc.
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Kelvin Dushnisky
Director
Kelvin Dushnisky
Director
Kelvin Dushnisky served as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of AngloGold Ashanti from September 2018 to September 2020. Mr. Dushnisky led the execution of the organization’s strategic priorities and oversaw a global portfolio of mining operations and projects in Africa, South America, and Australia, along with exploration interests and investments in North America. He also led the company’s interface with key stakeholders, including shareholders, host governments, communities, and organized labor. Prior to AngloGold Ashanti, Mr. Dushnisky had a sixteen year career with Barrick Gold Corporation, ultimately serving as President and a member of the Board of Directors. Prior to Barrick he held senior executive and board positions with a number of private and listed companies.
Mr. Dushnisky holds a B.Sc. (Hon.) degree from the University of Manitoba and M.Sc. and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of British Columbia. He is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia and the Canadian Bar Association.
Mr. Dushnisky is past Chair of the World Gold Council. He served on the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Shanghai Gold Exchange and the Accenture Global Mining Council. He is a former member of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa. Mr. Dushnisky served on the Board of Trustees of the Toronto-based University Health Network (UHN).
Dr. Yuan Gao
Director
Dr. Yuan Gao
Director
Dr. Yuan Gao is the Vice Chairman of the board of Qinghai Taifeng Pulead Lithium-Energy Technology Co. Ltd., a leading producer of cathodes for lithium-ion batteries, having served as President and CEO from May 2014 to Sept 2019. Previously, Yuan served as Vice President at Molycorp Inc., and as Global Marketing Director and Technology Manager at FMC Corporation (USA). Yuan holds a BSc from the University of Science and Technology of China, and a PhD in Physics from the University of British Columbia. He has also completed Executive Education at The Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania.
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Jinhee Magie
Director
Jinhee Magie
Director
Ms. Magie served as the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Lundin Mining Corporation from October 2018 to September 2022, overseeing financial reporting, treasury, tax and information technology (including cybersecurity). She joined Lundin in 2008, serving in various roles of increasing responsibility, including 9 years as Vice President, Finance.
With over 25 years of experience, Ms. Magie began her career with Ernst & Young and has held progressively more senior roles in public companies, with the last 15 years in the mining industry. Before joining Lundin, Ms. Magie was the Director of Corporate Compliance for LionOre Mining International Ltd. She has extensive experience in acquisitions and divestitures, public and private equity fundraising and public company reporting.
Ms. Magie holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA).
Franco Mignacco
Director, President of Minera Exar
Franco Mignacco
Director, President of Minera Exar
Franco Mignacco is the President of Minera Exar S.A., the operator of the Cauchari Olaroz project co-owned by Lithium Americas and Ganfeng. He was previously the Vice Chairman of Lithium Americas, prior to its merger with Western Lithium USA Corp., from June 2013 to September 2015. Franco resides in Argentina and holds an MBA from San Andres University and an honours degree in mining from Universidad Austral, both located in Buenos Aires.
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