Lithium Americas appointed Clayton Walker as an independent director, effective immediately, adding a mining executive with more than 25 years of experience to the board as the company pushes Thacker Pass toward production.
Walker most recently served as chief growth and development officer at Rio Tinto, where from 2021 to 2025 he was chief operating officer for the copper product group. In that role, he oversaw growth and optimization across Rio Tinto’s copper portfolio, including major operations and projects in the Americas such as Kennecott in Utah and Resolution Copper in Arizona.
From 2016 to 2021, Walker was chief executive officer and executive chairman of Iron Ore Company of Canada, and before that he spent 15 years in management roles at Rio Tinto. He holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering from the University of Utah.
The appointment comes as Lithium Americas develops Thacker Pass in Humboldt County, Nevada. Phase 1 is designed for nominal production capacity of 40,000 tonnes per year of battery-quality lithium carbonate, with mechanical completion targeted for late 2027. The project is held through a joint venture in which Lithium Americas owns 62% and General Motors Holdings owns 38%.
Project financing for phase 1 includes a $2.23 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy, along with strategic investments from GM and Orion Resource Partners. As a result of these announcements, the company's shares have moved -0.18% on the market, and are now trading at a price of $5.53. Check out the company's full 8-K submission here.
