Executive Management

Mr. Pigott has approximately 20 years of experience in mining, lithium, capital markets, business development and finance. He joins Lithium Argentina from Ganfeng Lithium, where he has led the International Business Development group for the past six years. Before joining Ganfeng in 2018, he worked in several financial and investment banking institutions in a variety of senior roles. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Oxford University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History from McGill University. Mr. Pigott currently resides in Toronto, Canada.

Mr. Celorrio has over 25 years of experience counseling international clients in legal and institutional affairs in the mining sector, and has been honored for his excellent service by Chambers & Partners, Best Lawyers, and Who’s Who Legal. Through his practice, Mr. Celorrio has engaged with federal and provincial authorities, NGOs, and other civic society participants in every Argentine mining province, as well as with several Canadian and Australian institutions. In addition to belonging to several legal and mining associations, he has been a Board Member of the Argentine Chamber of Mining Entrepreneurs for more than 10 years. He was Executive Vice-President of Latin America for Lithium Americas before assuming his current position with Lithium Argentina. He is currently the Chair of Administrative Law at the University of Argentine Social Museum, and holds degrees from the Argentine Catholic University and Austral University, as well as a law degree from the University of Buenos Aires Law School.

Mr. Shulga is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA-CGA) and a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA, UK). He has over 14 years of experience in the mining sector focusing on financial reporting, compliance, budgeting, financing, business modelling, mergers & acquisitions, tax, and treasury. Mr. Shulga was a senior manager in audit and assurance practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Currently, Mr. Shulga is a Director and Sponsorship Committee Chair for the Vancouver Chapter of Financial Executives International. He was Vice-President of Finance for Lithium Americas prior to assuming his current role at Lithium Argentina. Mr. Shulga earned an accounting degree and Master of Finance from Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv.

Mr. Aggio has spent more than 25 years leading human resources departments across South America. These have ranged from Aguas Argentinas, Prudential Financial, and Barrick Gold Corp. to San Miguel Global, Danone, and YPF Sociedad Anonima. He began his professional career at Pérez Companc Group, where he held several management positions. After serving as the President of the Human Resources Association of Argentina from 2016 to 2022, Mr. Aggio joined the Lithium Americas executive team before assuming his current role with Lithium Argentina. Mr. Aggio holds a law degree from the Universidad de Buenos Aires and completed the Executive Program at the IAE Business School.

Dr. Benson received his Ph.D. in volcanology from Stanford University in 2017 for his research on global lithium resources associated with large magma chambers. His research has gained international acclaim, appearing in peer-reviewed publications such as Science and Nature, and covered in a wide variety of media outlets from The Atlantic to Fox News and NPR. Prior to his current position as Vice President of Global Exploration at Lithium Argentina, Dr. Benson was Vice President of Global Exploration at Lithium Americas, Adjunct Assistant Professor at New York University, Research Associate at the American Museum of Natural History, Visiting Scholar at Columbia University, Fulbright Scholar in at the Iceland GeoSurvey, Research Associate at MIT, and undergraduate at Harvard University. Dr. Benson advises exploration efforts at LAAC’s brine projects in Cauchari-Olaroz and Pastos Grandes and manages the company’s greenfield exploration program around the world. He is also actively engaged in peer-reviewed research on the origins of brine, pegmatite, and volcano-sedimentary lithium resources.

Mr. Chiappori is a mechanical engineer with extensive expertise and experience managing complex businesses and projects at national and international levels. Before his eight-year tenure with lithium producer FMC Corp. (now Livent USA Corp.), where he held several senior roles including Global Director of Manufacturing and Supply Chain, Mr. Chiappori was Operations Manager for United Phosphorus Ltd. and managed both construction and industrial operations for Bunge Argentina. He was Vice-President of Lithium Americas’ Latin American Operations from July 2022 until October 2023, when he assumed his current role with Lithium Argentina. Mr. Chiappori holds a mechanical engineering degree from Universidad Nacional de la Plata, and a postgraduate degree in management development from the IAE Business School.

Mr. Galli has more than a decade of experience leading and managing the development of lithium brine operations at multiple projects in Argentina. He has worked as a consultant for SRK Consulting and Norlab, a Jujuy-based company specializing in the study and development of brine processing, and as COO for LSC Lithium, where he focused on the technical development of lithium projects in Salta and Jujuy. He was also the Industrial and General Manager of Operations at ADY Resources’ Salar de Rincón. Mr. Galli joined Lithium Americas in 2022 as Senior Director of Human Resources before assuming his current role in 2023. He is responsible for overseeing the technical development and expansion of the Caucharí-Olaroz and Pastos Grandes projects. Mr. Galli holds an industrial engineering degree from the Universidad de Buenos Aires, and a Master of Finance degree from the EUDE Business School in Spain.

Ms. O’Brien worked as a project developer in the energy industry in Boston, Mass., for several years before relocating to Santiago, Chile, where she worked as the Head of Investor Relations for SQM from 2011 to 2023. She assumed her current role with Lithium Argentina in June 2023. Ms. O’Brien holds a Bachelor of Arts from Fordham University and Master of Business Administration from Boston University.