A former State Department official, global infrastructure envoy and climate negotiator has landed at TechMet, a Dubin-based private minerals and investment company partially owned by the federal government.
Helaina Matza, who worked at the State Department for 14 years, is joining TechMet on Tuesday as chief strategic development officer based in Washington. She will focus on forging relationships between TechMet, which is partially owned by the International Development Finance Corp., and other companies and countries.
As the U.S. works to shore up critical minerals and supply chains tied to energy, renewables and military technology and offset China’s dominance, TechMet has been active in seeking out opportunities, including potentially developing a lithium deposit in war-torn Ukraine.
Brian Menell, the company’s chair and CEO, said on Capitol Hill last month that TechMet, founded in 2017, is building projects that “produce, process and recycle the critical minerals needed to secure competitive, China-free supply chains to feed American industry and national defense.” The company’s portfolio, he said, includes 10 companies and focuses on advancing production of lithium, nickel, cobalt, tin, tungsten, vanadium and rare earth elements.
