Westborough, Mass. (July 2, 2025) Ascend Elements recently appointed Deacon Powell to the position of General Counsel. He serves on the company’s Executive Leadership Team and reports to CEO Linh Austin.
“We are excited to have Deacon join the Ascend Elements team. His broad, 25-year experience in the energy industry and deep expertise in projects and construction law is a great fit as we look to turnaround and scale our operations,” Austin said.
From the Middle East and Southeast Asia to the United States, Deacon has overseen legal, compliance, contracts and risk management functions for many in-house clients. His previous employers include a NYSE-traded engineering and construction firm with multi-billion-dollar operations globally, a private-equity backed consultancy and a cybersecurity venture between a major U.S. aerospace and defense contractor and the national oil company of Saudi Arabia.
Deacon also has prior experience in private practice at a large law firm and a maritime litigation firm.
Founded in 2015 and based in Westborough, Massachusetts, Ascend Elements is a leading provider of domestic, critical minerals and engineered battery materials for the lithium-ion battery industry. The company produces sustainable Lithium Carbonate (Li2CO3) and NMC pCAM made from recycled battery materials. Ascend Elements’ patented Hydro-to-Cathode® direct cathode precursor synthesis technology produces new pCAM material from spent lithium-ion cells more efficiently than traditional methods, resulting in improved economics and lowered carbon emissions.