NEO Battery Materials Ltd. appointed Mr. Ricky Lee, a renowned battery industry pioneer, as the Lead Managerial Advisor. Mr. Ricky Lee is a 35-year battery and energy industry executive with substantial experience with battery material and cell design, mass-production technology, and equipment & process development at globally distinguished companies. Throughout his career, Mr. Lee has served as the Senior Vice President and Chief of Process Engineering at several global Korean and Chinese battery cell manufacturers, including Samsung SDI, SK Innovation, and A123 Systems. He has also served as the Chief Executive Officer of international companies and was a member of the National Research Review Committee and the WPM Operations Committee.

During his tenure at SK Innovation (currently SK On), he was the Vice President of the R&D Center and successfully launched large pouch cells for HEV, PHEV, and EVs in the U.S., Europe, and South Korea. Later, appointed as SK?s battery factory manager, Mr. Lee improved the defect rate and productivity to achieve quality control of >99% per unit process. He was awarded by the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy for enabling mass-production capability.

At Samsung SDI, Mr. Lee was one of the first engineers to initiate large-scale battery cell production. Developing Samsung?s first lithium-polymer battery, he led the R&D of polymer cylindrical and prismatic cells and headed the productivity improvement team to enhance profitability, process efficiency, and overall workflow. Previously at Samsung, Mr. Lee was a key developer of high-capacity nickel-zinc batteries that achieved a 200 KM driving range for Hyundai.

In the mid-1990s, he pioneered the development of polymer-based solid-state batteries for lithium-ion applications.