Change of IMnI Director

Message from IMnI Executive Director Aloys d’Harambure
Dear Manganese community,
After 10 years at the International Manganese Institute (IMnI), I will leave this great organisation on February 28.
Throughout my time at the IMnI, I had the opportunity to meet and engage with people from different continents and nationalities. In the process I have forged lasting friendships, and learnt a lot about cultures, geopolitics, and the different ways to produce, trade, use and recycle metals. I feel honoured to have served the Manganese industry since 2014, under the mentorship of 5 consecutive IMnI Chairmen: Arnaud Tissidre (Eramet), Pedro Larrea (Ferroglobe), Esteban Rivero (Autlan), Patrick Sacco (Ore&Metal) and Paul Desportes (Eramet), whom I sincerely thank for their support and vision.
To each and every one with whom I had the privilege of engaging through business, at meetings, conferences or just rubbing shoulders in passing during my travels, or the friends, colleagues and people around Paris, I thank you and wish you well. You are what makes the Manganese industry such a special community, where companies compete in a fair and respectful environment.
Mr. Laurent Montcoutié has been appointed by the IMnI Supervisory Board as new IMnI Executive Director as of January 20th.
A French national currently based in Bordeaux (south-west of France), Laurent has more than 20 years of experience in the metals industry. After graduating from EM Lyon Business School, Laurent held different leadership positions in base metals at Eramet, in Tokyo, Taipei, Paris and Shanghai.
More recently, Laurent led Asian base metals trade for a metal commodities trading house in Singapore before heading sales development and metal procurement in the automotive battery value chain out of France.
Fluent in Japanese in addition to English and French, he also speaks Mandarin Chinese. His email address is laurent@manganese.org.
The IMnI is in very good hands with Laurent, and it will significantly benefit from his international expertise in the metals industry. I feel confident the Institute will keep growing and improving its services, while ensuring Manganese is produced and consumed in a sustainable way.
Warm regards,
Aloys d'Harambure