Lithium Ionic Appoints Mike Westendorf as Vice President of Technical Services, Further Enhancing its Operational Team as it Advances Bandeira, Minas Gerais, Brazil
TORONTO, Feb. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lithium Ionic Corp. (TSXV: LTH; OTCQX: LTHCF; FSE: H3N) (“Lithium Ionic” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mike Westendorf to the position of Vice President of Technical Services, effective immediately. Mr. Westendorf is a professional engineer with over 15 years of diversified experience in mining operations, capital projects, engineering, and corporate development.
Blake Hylands, P.Geo., Chief Executive Officer of Lithium Ionic, commented: “We are thrilled to welcome Mike to the Lithium Ionic team. His demonstrated track record in all aspects of the mine lifecycle, from study to production, will be invaluable as we quickly advance the Bandeira lithium project towards a production decision. Mike’s technical expertise and proven leadership abilities will greatly enhance our existing technical and operational team as we advance detailed engineering and permitting activities towards construction.”
Mr. Westendorf added: “I’m very excited to join Lithium Ionic and be part of building the Company’s lithium operation in Brazil. Initial engineering studies for the Bandeira project demonstrated excellent economics and I look forward to leveraging my project development experience to help optimize the operation and maximize value as the Company transitions to production.”
Mr. Westendorf most recently served as Director of Operational Excellence for Copper Mountain Mining Corp. (“Copper Mountain”), now owned by Hudbay Minerals Inc., where he led initiatives to improve production, execute capital upgrades, and reduce costs at their Copper Mountain Mine in Canada. Here, he also held the roles of Production Manager, overseeing the development of their Eva Copper Project in Australia, and Director of Metallurgy, supporting resource expansions and development of the Copper Mountain Mine. Mr. Westendorf has extensive experience managing mining operations and teams, from study phases through construction and into operations.
Mr. Westendorf’s career also includes senior technical and management roles with increasing responsibilities at Copper Mountain Mine, including Mill Manager, where he oversaw a 40,000 tonne per day copper milling operation, and technical positions supporting expansions and engineering studies. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Process Engineer for Hatch, conducting engineering design for base and precious metal projects internationally.
Mr. Westendorf holds a B.A.Sc. degree in Metals and Materials Engineering from the University of British Columbia and is a registered Professional Engineer.
About Lithium Ionic Corp.
Lithium Ionic is a Canadian mining company exploring and developing its lithium properties in Brazil. Its Itinga and Salinas group of properties cover 14,182 hectares in the northeastern part of Minas Gerais state, a mining-friendly jurisdiction that is quickly emerging as a world-class hard-rock lithium district. Its Feasibility-stage Bandeira Project is situated in the same region as CBL’s Cachoeira lithium mine, which has produced lithium for +30 years, as well as Sigma Lithium Corp.’s Grota do Cirilo project, which hosts the largest hard-rock lithium deposit in the Americas.
Investor and Media Inquiries:
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This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-statements.” Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. When used in this press release, the words “estimate”, “project”, “belief”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “expect”, “plan”, “predict”, “may” or “should” and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. The forward-looking statements and information in this press release include information relating to the prospectivity of the Company’s mineral properties, the economic viability of Bandeira and the Company’s ability to develop and construct a mine, the mineralization and development of the Company’s mineral properties, managerial appointments and the impact thereof, the Company’s ability to complete an environmental impact assessment and obtain the requisite permitting and approvals and the Company’s future plans. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.
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