VIRIDIAN LITHIUM is dedicated to strengthening Europe’s battery supply chain through our expertise in lithium refining. Our mission is to produce a reliable and sustainable supply of battery-grade lithium chemicals.
Based in Strasbourg, with state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, its team of experts is committed to minimising the environmental footprint and improve the circularity of the battery supply chain.
Viridian Lithium is focused on building its lithium conversion plant in Lauterbourg with an initial production capacity of 28,500 tonnes per year of lithium hydroxide monohydrate, starting in 2027.
Executive Committee
Rémy Welschinger
CO-FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR
Remy has more than 15 years’ experience in Finance and Corporate Development across the lithium, copper and banking industries.
Before joining Infinity Lithium as a director, Remy was head of commodities sales in Europe at Deutsche Bank.
Pierre Gourbeyre
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Pierre has over 10 years of experience in industrial project management. He is a recognized leader in the design and construction of complex plants.
He joins from GEA group, a major engineering company which specializes in process technology. Pierre graduated as a chemical engineer
Laurence Levresse
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Laurence has over 20 years’ experience in auditing at KPMG and in finance in various sectors (pharmaceutical industry, US-listed companies) and countries (Argentina, France, Netherlands).
She is a certified public accountant.
Luc Pez
CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER
Luc brings more than 25 years’ experience in Equity and Critical Raw Materials research.
Before joining Viridian Lithium, Luc oversaw Verkor’s raw materials sourcing activity and contributed to the gigafactory 1 Series C funding.
Founding Members
Jon Starink
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Jon has over 40 years of Chemical Processing experience. He is a recognised expert in Lithium downstream integration. Jon has provided process engineering, process development and project implementation expertise to Talison at Greenbushes and Tianqi at Kwinana. He has also advised Galaxy, Pilbara Minerals and Covalent.
Michel Peretie
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Michel brings 40 years of Corporate and Investment Banking experience. Michel is CEO and Partner at RiverRock, an alternative asset management firm with over EUR 1.5bn AuM. Prior to that, Michel was CEO of the Corporate and Investment Banking Division of Société Générale.
Ryan Parkin
NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Ryan has over 15 years of experience in Corporate Development, Auditing and Finance in both listed and unlisted companies. He is the CEO and Managing Director of Infinity Lithium, developing the second largest Lithium deposit in Europe.
David Maree
HEAD OF PROCESS DEVELOPMENT
David is a recognised lithium processing specialist. He has worked as a feasibility manager for multi-national Tianqi Lithium where he was in charge of pilot testing, plant innovation and engineering development. He was also the Principal Research Scientist for Talison Lithium in Western Australia between 2011 and 2015 and is credited with developing that company’s ground-breaking process flowsheets for the production of battery grade lithium hydroxide.
Staff Members
Rocio Battocoli
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Rocio brings over 10 years of experience in the administrative sector.
Her versatility ensures seamless day-to-day operations, contributing to the company’s efficiency and organisation.
Mohamed Belghiti
LEAD R&D ENGINEER
Mohamed holds a Ph.D. in Materials Chemistry and Environmental Science and brings over 10 years of applied research experience.
He specialises in sustainable technologies, including lithium recovery, battery recycling, and photocatalysis.
Loïc Branchereau
PUBLIC RELATIONS & MARKETING MANAGER
Loïc has extensive experience as a public relations and communication strategist in both public (French National Assembly, Municipality of Strasbourg) and private sectors (De Dietrich Process Systems).
He excels in crafting integrated communication strategies to enhance visibility and stakeholder engagement.
Clément Chiris
SENIOR PROJECT ENGINEER
Clément is a mechanical engineer with 10 years of commissioning experience at leading firms such as GEA and Bee Engineering.
His diverse skillset and problem-solving expertise make him an important asset in engineering projects.
Mehdi Iguider
PhD CANDIDATE
Mehdi, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Strasbourg, specialises in environmental impact assessments of the lithium supply chain.
His multicultural background and expertise bring a global perspective to his research on sustainable technologies.
Jonathan Leglaive
LEAD PROCESS ENGINEER
Jonathan brings over 11 years of experience in process and chemical engineering with roles at Novasep and De Dietrich Process Systems.
He also served as Plant Manager and Process Development Director at an ISO 13485-certified site.
Jérémie Leyval
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY TECHNICIAN
Jérémie has over 10 years of experience in analytical chemistry.
Before joining Viridian Lithium, he developed and validated methods for the pharmaceutical industry and specialised in ICP-AES analysis of glass and ceramics.
Orégane Soënen
PROJECT ENGINEER
Orégane has strong project management experience and a multidisciplinary background gained through her roles at Sanofi and Eurofins.
She also has a solid foundation in chemical engineering.
Pierre Tomaszewski
R&D TECHNICIAN
Pierre is a materials science professional with a focus on analytical chemistry.
After beginning his career in commercial roles, he returned to science in 2011, advancing his expertise with training in chemistry.
Jules Villemin
ASSISTANT PROCESS ENGINEER
Jules graduated from ENSIC with expertise in industrial process simulation.
He honed his skills during an experience at Nyrstar, where he worked on optimizing hydrometallurgical processes using advanced simulation tools.
Tri-Anh Vo
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER
Tri-Anh brings over 10 years of HR experience in technology, healthcare, and energy.
She aligns HR strategies with company objectives, fostering team development and well-being.
Institutional Partners
