Management
Michael O’Kronley
Chief Executive Officer
Robert Long
Chief Financial Officer
Rashda Buttar
Chief Legal and Administrative Officer
Darcy MacDougald
Chief Operating Officer
Lori Mcleod
President, Battery Technology Solutions
Suzanne Yeates
Financial Controller & Company Secretary
Michael O’Kronley
Chief Executive Officer
- Over 30 years of automotive experience including 15 years in the Lithium-ion battery and battery materials space.
- Michael possesses a strong technical foundation in engineering as well as extensive experience in manufacturing, operations, and scaling critical minerals production.
- Holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from the University of Michigan
- Has held pivotal roles at A123 Systems, Metaldyne Corp., and Robert Bosch.
Robert Long
Chief Financial Officer
- Over 25 years of experience in the business and finance sectors.
- From 2020 to early-2024 was Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Bridges Consumer Healthcare (a private equity-backed venture), Senior Vice President Strategy for Shaw Industries (2019 to 2020), various roles of escalating responsibility leading to the final position (2015 – 2019) as Head of North America Region/(CEO of Chattem, Inc.) with Sanofi Consumer Healthcare. Other positions at Chattem/Sanofi were Executive VP and CFO (2010 – 2015), Chief Financial Officer (2008 – 2010) VP Finance (2007 – 2008), Chief Accounting Officer (2006 – 2007). Mr. Long was also Chief Financial Officer at Charleston Hosiery (2005 – 2006).
- Previously with the audit staffs of Andersen and Ernst & Young from 1996 to 2005, finishing his career as a Sr. Audit Manager focusing on mid-cap public companies.
- Certified Public Accountant in the State of Tennessee and a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Rashda Buttar
Chief Legal and Administrative Officer
- Over 25 years of corporate legal experience in senior roles for US publicly listed corporations
- Previously a SVP – General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Foresight Energy LP from 2011 to 2017; VP, Associate General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Patriot Coal Corporation from 2007 to 2011; and Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary of TALX Corporation from 2003 to 2007
- Juris Doctor from St. Louis University School of Law, B.A. from St. Louis University in Russian and Eastern European Studies, Political Science
Darcy MacDougald
Chief Operating Officer
- Chief Operating Officer of NOVONIX
- Previously President of NOVONIX Battery Technology Solutions
- Seasoned business professional with over 15 years of senior leadership experience scaling high-growth operations in both listed and PE-backed electronics manufacturing, telecommunications, pharmaceutical marketing, and clinical research organizations
- Previously Head of Operations at STI Technologies Inc., an IQVIA company, for nearly 6 years as a member of the executive team responsible for Pharmacy Reimbursement Solutions, Data Analytics, and Patient Support Programs
- Previously a Senior Manager at BlackBerry for 8 years accountable for Operations Management, Business Management, Problem Management, Data Analytics, Customer Insight, and Strategic Technical Issues
- From Prince Edward Island, Canada, MacDougald graduated from the University of New Brunswick, with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Lori Mcleod
President, Battery Technology Solutions
- President of NOVONIX Battery Technology Solutions division responsible for Canada-based operations, customer projects, and internal research and development endeavors
- A rich and diversified background spanning over 15 years of marketing, sales and technology development experience, and notable demonstration of leading and managing diverse teams to achieve remarkable results
- Previously held various leadership positions in telecommunications and pharmaceutical marketing organizations, prior to joining NOVONIX as the Director of Sales
- Holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Marketing Management from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Suzanne Yeates
Financial Controller and Company Secretary
- Chartered Accountant with more than 20 years’ experience in the industry
- Core experience includes corporate and joint venture accounting, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, taxation and regulatory compliance, treasury and transactional banking, year-end procedures including audit management and preparation of statutory filings, company Secretarial, ASX lodgements and share registry management
- Worked in a financial capacity for many listed and unlisted companies including: Coalbank Limited, Acer Energy Limited, Norton Gold Fields Limited, Anova Metals Limited, Diatreme Resources Limited, Bengal Energy (Australia) Pty Ltd, Terra Nova (Australia) Pty Ltd, Roar Resources Pty Ltd, and Compass Coal Pty Ltd
Advisors
Dr. Chris Burns
Strategic Advisor
Dr. Jeff Dahn
Chief Scientific Advsior
Andrew N. Liveris AO
Strategic Advisor
Mark Obrovac
Sponsored Researcher
Dr. Chris Burns
Strategic Advisor
- Previously led all company divisions including NOVONIX™ Battery Technology Solutions and NOVONIX Anode Materials
- Co-developed the breakthrough Ultra High Precision Coulometry (UHPC) technology with Professor Jeff Dahn
- Co-founded NOVONIX Battery Technology Solutions in Canada in 2013
- Former Senior Research Engineer with Tesla
- As Tesla’s first technical hire in Canada in 2015, Dr. Burns led projects in materials and battery characterization with the goals of selecting EV and ESS battery chemistry and materials
- Dr. Burns holds multiple patents related to Li-ion batteries and is a co-author on peer reviewed journal articles that have been cited over 4,000 times
- Received his PhD and MS in Physics from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and his BS in Physics from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia
Dr. Jeff Dahn
Chief Scientific Advisor
- Chief Scientific Advisor to NOVONIX
- Professor Jeff Dahn is a leading researcher in the field of lithium-ion batteries and materials and currently holds the title of NSERC/Tesla Canada Industrial Research Chair with Dalhousie University
- Having a long career across both industry and academia, he has spent the last 25 years as a professor at Dalhousie University, with support from 3M Company and most recently, from Tesla
- Dahn has co-authored 730 papers and has 73 inventions with patents issued or filed, including some of the early patents related to Li[NiMnCo]O2(NMC) cathode material in 2001
- NOVONIX Founder, Dr. Chris Burns, received his Ph.D. under Professor Jeff Dahn at Dalhousie University where he co-founded NOVONIX BTS and spun out of Dahn’s research group in 2013
Andrew N. Liveris AO
Strategic Advisor
- Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Dow Chemical Company and the former Executive Chairman of DowDuPont
- Chairman of Lucid Motors, Blackrock Long Term Capital and The Hellenic Initiative
- Director of IBM, Saudi Aramco, Worley (Deputy Chairman), and the Minderoo Foundation
- Advisory Board of Salesforce, the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Teneo, NEOM (an initiative driven by Saudi Vision 2030)
- Special Advisor to the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
- Trustee for the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and the United States Council for International Business
- Andrew has advised three U.S. presidents and served as co-chair of US President Barack Obama’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, adviser to President Trump and now President Biden. He is Co-Chair of the Build Together Coalition that successfully advocated for the USD1.2T Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Biden in 2020
- Andrew was appointed as a Special Advisor to the Australian Government’s National COVID-19 Coordination Commission. He is an Independent Member of the Australian Government’s Industry Growth Centres Advisory Committee, a member of the Australian Design Council, and a member of the government’s AdBlue Taskforce
- In his book published in 2011, Make it in America, Andrew advocates for the criticality of manufacturing in building valuable skills and delivering solutions for this century, an era of sustainability, digitalisation, and geopolitical dynamism. In 2018 Andrew established the Liveris Academy for Innovation and Leadership at the University of Queensland
- Officer of the Order of Australia for his services to international business
Mark Obrovac
Sponsored Researcher
- NSERC/NOVONIX Industrial Research Chair for NOVONIX
- Professor Mark Obrovac is a leading battery materials innovator having authored over 100 peer reviewed journal articles, twenty issued US patents, with a further four patents pending in the field of battery science covering anodes, cathodes, electrolyte, and binder materials
- Previously the NSERC/3M Canada Industrial Research Chair and Associate Professor of Chemistry and Physics, Dalhousie University, in Halifax, N.S., Canada from 2010 to 2018
- Dr. Obrovac was a Research Specialist with 3M Corporation where he was the Project Leader for the Anode Materials Group.
- Dr. Obrovac also worked as the Principal Investigator for the DOE’s Advanced Negative Electrode Project as part of 3M’s Electronics Marketing Material Division
- Holds a BSc in Chemical Physics, Simon Fraser University (1995); MSc in Physics, Dalhousie University (1997); PhD in Physics, Dalhousie University (2001); and a PDF in Chemistry, Cornell University (2002)
Board of Directors
Ron Edmonds
Chairman
Admiral Robert J Natter
Deputy Chairman and Non-Executive Director
Tony Bellas
Non-Executive Director
Sharan Burrow AC
Non-Executive Director
Nick Liveris
Non-Executive Director
Jean Oelwang
Non-Executive Director
Suresh Vaidyanathan
Non-Executive Director
Ron Edmonds
Chairman
- Mr. Edmonds is a highly accomplished finance executive.
- He served as Chief Accounting Officer at Dow, a $55 billion global materials science company.
- In that role, he spearheaded all financial activity supporting Dow’s historic $86-billion merger with DuPont unlocking new sources of value, and creating three independent, publicly traded companies in materials science, agriculture, and specialty products sectors.
- Prior to Dow, he served in finance and accounting roles at Chiquita Brands International, The Upjohn Company, and Arthur Andersen & Company.
Admiral Robert J Natter
Deputy Chairman and Non-Executive Director
- Deputy Chairman and Non-Executive Director at NOVONIX
- Based in North America, Admiral Natter retired from active military service in 2003 and has since served on a number of U.S. Boards and Advisory panels in corporate and government
- During his prominent 41-year Navy career, starting at age 17, Admiral Natter went on to serve as the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and as the First Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, overseeing all Continental U.S. Navy bases, facilities and training operations. He was also Commander of the U.S. Seventh Fleet, encompassing Asia and the Indian Ocean operating areas
- Admiral Natter is President of R.J. Natter & Associates, LLC, a nationwide U.S. consulting and advocacy firm specializing in corporate and defense strategy.
- In addition to NOVONIX, Admiral Natter serves as Director of Allied Universal Security, a privately held security company with over 800,000 employees world-wide; and Intellisense, a California based technology company. His Board work also included Chairman of G4S Inc and non-executive Directorships at BAE Systems Inc and Corporate Travel Management, a Brisbane-based (ASX) international travel company
- Admiral Natter was also Chairman of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association Board, representing over 60,000 graduates. He continues to serve on the Naval Academy Foundation’s Board
- A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Natter was named a distinguished graduate in 2019. He also was the fifth recipient of the Naval War College’s Distinguished Graduate Leadership Award. In addition to his Naval Academy Degree, Natter also has Masters Degrees in both Business Management and International Relations
- His military awards include the Silver Star Medal, three Navy Distinguished Service Medals, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (five awards), Bronze Star with Combat V, Purple Heart, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V, and Navy Achievement Medal with Combat V. Other honors include the 1998 Order of the Rising Sun from the Emperor of Japan and the 1998 Order of National Security Medal from the Republic of Korea, bestowed for his service as Commander of the US Seventh Fleet
- Admiral Natter is also on the Regents of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
Tony Bellas
Non-Executive Director
- Formerly Non-Executive Chairman of NOVONIX 2015 – 2020
- More than 30 years’ experience in both the government and private sectors
- Previously CEO of Ergon Energy and CS Energy and was Queensland’s Deputy Under Treasurer
- Previously Non-Executive Chairman of Corporate Travel Management Limited, ERM Power Limited and Shine Lawyers Limited
- Fellow member status of the Australian Institute of Management, the Australian Institute of Company Directors and CPAs Australia
Sharan Burrow AC
Non-Executive Director
- Ms. Burrow is a global advocate for human rights, climate action and Just Transition.
- Former General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation and has represented workers and civil society groups in global policy discussions in United Nations bodies, on the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation as well as at the tables of the G7, G20, World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
- Has twice been a Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos.
- Burrow is currently a Visiting Professor in Practice to the LSE-Grantham Institute, a board member of the European Climate foundation, a board member of the Green Hydrogen Association, Co-Chair of the IEA Labour Council, and a Commissioner for the Global Commission on Climate Governance and Deputy Chair of the B Team
Nick Liveris
Non-Executive Director
- Previously CFO for NOVONIX, operational CFO for NOVONIX Anode Materials and NOVONIX BTS, and VP Business Development for NOVONIX
- Led and managed multiple successful company financings, development and implementation of global best practices for NOVONIX’s finance functions, and business development efforts to secure the company’s first customer contract
- 10 years of experience in Investment Banking and Management Consulting focused on transportation-related industries advising global clients on a range of complex operational and financial engagements
- Previously a Senior Engagement Manager at McKinsey, leading industry transformation programs in automotive and industrial businesses globally
- Previously an Investment Banking Analyst at Merrill Lynch focused on the transportation sector
- Holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan
Jean Oelwang
Non-Executive Director
- Jean is the founding CEO and President of Virgin Unite, an entrepreneurial foundation that builds leadership collectives, incubates ideas, and re-invents systems for a better world.
- Throughout her career, she has worked with partners to lead the incubation and start-up of several global initiatives, including: The Elders, The B Team, The Carbon War Room (successfully merged with the RMI), The Africa Donor Collective, Ocean Unite (now ORRAA), The Caribbean Climate Smart Accelerator, 100% Human at Work, The Virgin Unite Constellation, and The Branson Centres of Entrepreneurship. She also played a key partner role in the incubation of many other initiatives such as The Audacious Project.
- As part of her work over the last three decades, Jean has helped corporations put the wellbeing of people and the planet at their core, including working with over 25 Virgin businesses across 15 industries to help embed purpose in all they do. Jean also served as a Partner in the Virgin Group leading their people strategy.
- Jean spent seventeen years living and working on six continents to start and help lead mobile phone companies in South Africa, Colombia, Bulgaria, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and the US. She was the joint CEO of Virgin Mobile in Australia prior to starting Virgin Unite.
- She has long explored the overlap of the business and social sectors and has been involved in both, having worked for the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife in Australia, and in numerous volunteer roles, including a year-long stint as a VISTA volunteer where she worked with – and learned from – homeless teens in Chicago.
- Jean has been the recipient of several awards including the Bernie Glassman Trailblazer Award, FilmAid Philanthropic Leadership Award, and the Gerry Susman Sustainability Award.
Suresh Vaidyanathan
Non-Executive Director
- Mr. Vaidyanathan is currently Vice President, Renewable Fuels for Phillips 66
- Prior to assuming his current role in 2023, Mr. Vaidyanathan was Vice President & Chief Engineer, Refining Business Improvement.
- He held a variety of positions with Phillips 66, including Operations Manager at Sweeny Refinery, Refining Technical Services Manager for Refining Business Improvement, West Coast Strategy Manager for Refining, Technical Manager at Trainer Refiniery, and Optimization Manager at Ponca City Refinery.
- Holds a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and an MBA from Southern Methodist University, Dallas.
- Started his career at HPCL Refinery, India in 1991 and later worked in the Fractionation Industry with Koch Industries and Sulzer Chemtech in India, Europe, and the U.S.
