# Raef Sully

> Raef Sully is the CEO of Lilac Solutions, an Oakland-based company pioneering direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology using ceramic ion exchange beads. A structural engineer turned management consultant turned industrial executive, Sully brings 30+ years spanning tall buildings, the Australian Army Reserve, Bain & Company, and a decade running Nutrien's $10 billion nitrogen and phosphate division. He joined Lilac as COO in mid-2023 and ascended to CEO in February 2024 - the same month the company closed a $145 million Series C. Under his leadership, Lilac has achieved 87% lithium recovery at the Great Salt Lake, unveiled Gen 5 technology with 20x higher production rates, and signed a binding 10-year offtake agreement with Traxys North America targeting 50,000 tonnes of lithium product.

- **Role:** CEO at Lilac Solutions
- **Organizations:** Lilac Solutions, Nutrien, Bain & Company, Australian Army Reserve, Arianne Phosphate Inc.
- **From:** Australia
- **Nationality:** Australian
- **Education:** Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Structural Engineering, University of Sydney, Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.), Civil Engineering, University of Sydney
- **Known for:** Led Lilac Solutions to close $145M Series C in February 2024, bringing total funding to $368.6M, Achieved 87% lithium recovery rate at Great Salt Lake pilot operations (2025), Oversaw Gen 5 ion exchange technology delivering 20x higher production rates and up to 10,000 cycles per cartridge

## Career timeline

- **pre-1992** — Earned B.E. in Civil Engineering from University of Sydney
- **1992-1995** — Completed PhD in Structural Engineering at University of Sydney
- **1990s-2000s** — Engineering roles on tall buildings and large infrastructure projects
- **1990s-2010s** — Served 17 years in the Australian Army Reserve
- **2000s-2010s** — Senior consultant and partner at Bain & Company (12 years)
- **2010s** — CEO of Nutrien's nitrogen and phosphate business unit ($10B division, 4,500+ employees, 20+ global sites)
- **2023** — Interim EVP/COO role at Nutrien
- **July 2023** — Joined Lilac Solutions as Chief Operating Officer
- **February 2024** — Appointed CEO of Lilac Solutions; company closes $145M Series C simultaneously
- **June 2024** — Led unveiling of Gen 4 lithium extraction technology
- **2025** — Directed successful Great Salt Lake pilot achieving 87% lithium recovery; unveiled Gen 5 technology with 20x production rates
- **January 2026** — Negotiated binding 10-year, 50,000-tonne offtake agreement with Traxys North America

## Achievements

- Led Lilac Solutions to close $145M Series C in February 2024, bringing total funding to $368.6M
- Achieved 87% lithium recovery rate at Great Salt Lake pilot operations (2025)
- Oversaw Gen 5 ion exchange technology delivering 20x higher production rates and up to 10,000 cycles per cartridge
- Negotiated binding 10-year, 50,000-tonne offtake agreement with Traxys North America (January 2026)
- Directed 7+ successful field deployments globally including pilot in Germany with Neptune Energy
- Previously managed Nutrien's $10 billion nitrogen and phosphate business with 4,500+ employees across 20+ global sites
- Served 17 years in the Australian Army Reserve
- Completed PhD in Structural Engineering at University of Sydney
- Board member at Arianne Phosphate Inc.
- Speaker at Giga USA 24 (Benchmark Minerals conference) and Friends of Great Salt Lake Forum (2024)

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Announced binding 10-year, 50,000-tonne offtake agreement with Traxys North America at Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- **2025-10** — Featured in MIT Technology Review article on Lilac's Great Salt Lake lithium empire plans
- **2025** — Great Salt Lake pilot achieved 87% lithium recovery; Gen 5 technology unveiled with 20x production rate improvement
- **2024-06** — Led unveiling of Gen 4 lithium extraction technology
- **2024-02** — Appointed CEO of Lilac Solutions; $145M Series C closed with Mercuria, Lowercarbon Capital, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

## Links

- Website: https://lilacsolutions.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raef-sully-1265332b/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Lilac_Solutions

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/raef-sully
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-24