A seasoned veteran of the energy industry, Austin joined Ascend’s board of directors in late 2024 before taking over as CEO in March of this year. His experience with business turnarounds in the oil and gas industry made him the right fit for the role at the right time: The company, a commercial-scale manufacturer of domestic, critical battery minerals for electric vehicles and other uses, is expanding across the world.
It’s poised to become the top commercial-scale manufacturer of the crucial materials in Europe and North America. Ascend’s new $43-million facility in Covington, Georgia produces lithium carbonate recycled from discarded lithium-ion batteries; it’s the first new domestic source of the material in the 21st century. The company plans to produce up to 3,000 metric tons of sustainable lithium carbonate per year, leading to a 60% increase in overall U.S. production, Austin said. Ascend also opened a jointly-operated recycling plant in Zawiercie, Poland in 2024. This year, Poland asked Ascend to build another manufacturing plant in the country, offering the firm $320 million to do so.
Outside of work, Austin and his wife like to hike. In the past year and change, they completed eight of the 10 best day hikes in New Zealand, as well as a portion of the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
Laura Finaldi is a former WBJ reporter and current freelance writer.
