Novonix Ltd. CEO Chris Burns will step down Jan. 24 after more than four years leading the fast-growing battery materials producer that has secured supply deals with Stellantis, Panasonic and Volkswagen Group, the company said Jan. 20.

Company CFO Robert Long will serve as interim CEO, as the company conducts a search for a permanent leader.

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Novonix spokesperson Stephanie Reid said conversations between Burns and the board about a leadership transition have been under way for “a period of time.”

“This was not an easy decision and was made thoughtfully and in alignment with the board,” Reid said in an email.

Burns said he is “incredibly proud” of the progress the company has made over the past four years, but signalled new leadership is needed as Novonix transitions out of the lab.

“As we move towards commercial scale production at Riverside this year, it is a great opportunity for the board to appoint a new CEO with the right skill set to lead the company on the next phase of its journey,” he said in a release.

Reid said the focus will be on securing a leader with a background in manufacturing, operations, and scale-up.

Burns has been CEO of Novonix since 2020, as well as CEO of its precursor Novonix Battery Testing Services, a company he cofounded in Halifax, between 2013 and 2017. Novonix Battery Testing merged with an Australia-based graphite miner Graphitecorp Ltd. in 2017.

The company maintains its headquarters in Australia, but its operations are centred on North America. Its battery testing business continues to operate out of Canada’s East Coast, while its anode production unit is expanding quickly in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Novonix plans to open its first commercial-scale plant in the city on the Tennessee-Georgia border this year. It also secured a USD $754.8 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy in December to put toward construction of its second synthetic graphite plant, also to be located in Chattanooga.

The material is a key ingredient in electric-vehicle batteries, used for the negative electrode, or anode.

Novonix firmed up a series of contracts with key automotive customers in 2024, including Stellantis and Volkswagen Group battery subsidiary PowerCo.

Burns will remain a special adviser to the company’s board for an unspecified period to support ongoing operations and ensure a smooth transition, the company said.

Novonix expects its new CEO to be based in Chattanooga and be in place “as soon as possible,” Reid said.