Westborough, Mass. (September 4, 2025) Ascend Elements has appointed Barbara B. Knight to the position of Chief Administrative Officer. In this role, she will oversee the company’s marketing, communications, and human resources functions. She serves on the company’s Executive Leadership Team and reports to CEO Linh Austin.
“Barbara is a proven leader with significant experience in the energy industry and the public sector,” said Ascend Elements CEO Linh Austin. “I’ve worked closely with Barbara previously and I know how valuable she will be to our organization. I’m excited to have her on the team as Ascend Elements enters a pivotal period to establish ourselves as a leader in an important and dynamic sector.”
Knight brings a broad range of experience across the energy, investment, media, and government sectors. Most recently, she served as Head of Global Business Lines Communications & Marketing at McDermott International, where she worked for seven years in Dubai, U.A.E.
Her experience includes serving in the White House as Deputy Press Secretary to First Lady Laura Bush in Washington, D.C., acting as the primary liaison between the East Wing and global media outlets, and later as an advisor to former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush in Houston, managing a number of internationally recognized philanthropic campaigns. In addition to her public service and work in the energy sector, Knight has advised leading investment firms in the Middle East on international communication strategies. She began her career at FleishmanHillard in Houston and New York City and then with Condé Nast in New York City.
She holds a degree from the University of Texas at Austin and is a graduate of the Corporate Affairs and Reputation Program at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.
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.