ELYSIS welcomes new CEO François Perras to drive the next phase of technology development

MONTRÉAL, Jan. 10, 2025 /CNW/ - ELYSIS is pleased to announce the appointment of François Perras as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2025. François Perras succeeds Vincent Christ, who has led the company with distinction since its founding in 2018 before retiring at the end of 2024 after 35 years in the aluminium industry.

The Management Committee of ELYSIS, alongside the two major aluminium industry pioneers, Alcoa and Rio Tinto, once again express their gratitude for the work and determination of Vincent Christ, who has led the company for six years.

With the appointment of François Perras as President and Chief Executive officer, ELYSIS reaffirms its commitment to driving innovation and ushering in a new era for the global aluminium industry. François Perras will build on the strong foundation laid by his predecessor, guiding the company as it continues to innovate and develop a ground-breaking technology for aluminium production worldwide. ELYSIS reached an important milestone in 2024, granting its first technology licence to Rio Tinto for the construction of a demonstration plant that will be equipped with 10 ELYSIS^TM pots operating at 100 kA at the Arvida smelter in Québec, Canada.

François brings over 25 years of extensive experience in the metallurgical industry, having held key leadership roles at prominent companies such as ArcelorMittal, Tergeo Critical Minerals, and Electra. His proven expertise, combined with a forward-thinking and innovative vision, positions him as the ideal leader to guide ELYSIS through a pivotal stage: the upscaling of its technology, with the commissioning of a first industrial prototype cell (450 kA) at the end of an existing potline at Rio Tinto's Alma smelter in mid-2025. 

As he joins ELYSIS at this critical juncture, François is committed to building on the company's successes while accelerating its trajectory toward market readiness. Over the coming weeks, the new President and CEO plans to engage directly with teams across its various sites and listen to ideas, understand challenges, and transform them into opportunities for improvement and growth.

Quotes

— "I am deeply honoured to join ELYSIS at such a pivotal moment in its journey. Throughout my career, I have been driven by a passion for advancing technologies that create tangible, sustainable impacts on industries and materials. With ELYSIS, we have all the key elements to revolutionize the aluminium industry and set a new standard for sustainability. It is now our responsibility to accelerate this progress and deliver on this transformative vision."

-  François Perras, President and Chief Executive Officer of ELYSIS

— "Vincent has built a solid foundation for the future of ELYSIS. Not only has technology proved its potential, but it is now at a key stage of industrialization. François' technical and commercial expertise, combined with his proven commitment to developing sustainable solutions, will further position ELYSIS to support the decarbonization of aluminium production, meeting both customer demand for ultra-low carbon aluminium and ambitious sustainability goals."

-  Marie-Christine Dupont, Chair of the Management Committee of ELYSIS

About ELYSIS
ELYSIS is a technology company that emerged from a ground-breaking partnership between two global industry leaders, Alcoa and Rio Tinto. ELYSIS' goal is to revolutionize the way aluminium is produced worldwide. Our process eliminates all direct greenhouse gases from aluminium smelting, producing oxygen instead. Learn more at www.elysis.com.

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SOURCE ELYSIS

For additional information: Louis-Martin Leclerc, TACT, 418-693-2425, [e-mail]