Battery Future Acquisition Corp. appointed Weiyi Zheng as new CEO

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers, Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. 


Resignation of Officers and Directors 


On January 16, 2024, in connection with the execution of the Purchase Agreement, effective immediately, the following officers and directors submitted the resignation of their respective offices: Greg Martyr as Chief Executive Officer and director, Kris Salinger as Chief Financial Officer and director, Josh Payne as Chief Operating Officer, Nick O'Loughlin as Chief Development Officer and each of Simon Hay, Jessica Fung, Erez Ichilov, Natalia Streltsova and Adrian Griffin as directors of the Company. There were no disagreements between the Company and any officer or director on any matter related to the Company's operations, policies or practices.


Appointment of Officers and Directors


On January 16, 2024, in connection with the execution of the Purchase Agreement and resignation of the above-referenced officers and directors, the holders of the Founder Shares appointed Weiyi Zheng as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board and each of Hao Tian, Zixun Jin and Shengming Shi as independent directors of the Company. Each of Hao Tian, Zixun Jin and Shengming Shi will serve on the audit, compensation and nominating committees. Mr. Tian will act as the "financial expert" and serve as chairman of the audit committee.


In connection with their appointments, the Company and each of Weiyi Zheng, Hao Tian, Zixun Jin and Shengming Shi will enter into a standard form of indemnification agreement. Other than pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, there are no arrangements or understandings pursuant to which each of Hao Tian, Zixun Jin and Shengming Shi were selected as a director. None of Weiyi Zheng, Hao Tian, Zixun Jin and Shengming Shi has a direct or indirect material interest in any transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K. 


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Weiyi Zheng, 29 years old, will serve as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. Weiyi Zheng is the Senior Vice President of First Cover, Inc., a New York-based risk, compliance, and corporate services provider. Since 2019, Ms. Zheng has served as the Chief Marketing Officer at Tigerless Health, Inc., a leading US direct-to-consumer Insurtech company, where she establishes cooperative relationships and leads national marketing campaigns across all media types. Ms. Zheng holds a Master's degree in Strategic Communication from Columbia University and a Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Davis. The Company believes that Weiyi Zheng is well qualified to serve on its board of directors due to her extensive network and years of marketing experience.


Hao Tian, 31 years old, will serve as an independent director on the Company's Board. Hao Tian is a risk manager at Amazon.com, Inc. ("Amazon") and brings professional experience in due diligence investigation, anti-money laundering, and sanctions compliance. Before joining Amazon in 2021, Mr. Tian was a lead associate at Kroll, LLC (formerly Duff & Phelps), a premier investigation and financial risk advisory firm headquartered in New York, based in its Toronto and Reston offices. He started his career with the corporate security division at the World Bank Group based in Washington D.C. Mr. Tian holds a Master's degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and a Bachelor's degree in international relations and French studies from Lehigh University. The Company believes that Hao Tian is well qualified to serve on its board of directors due to his extensive experience in financial risk and compliance matters.


Zixun Jin, 36 years old, will serve as an independent director on the Company's Board. Zixun Jin is experienced in operations management and data analysis. He has held the role of Operation Manager at European Dismantler Inc. since 2013, where his role is overseeing operations and implementing effective processes. Prior to his tenure at European Dismantler Inc., Mr. Jin worked as a Data Mining Analyst at Lehigh University, utilizing analytical skills to extract insights from complex datasets. His ability to uncover meaningful patterns and trends within the data contributed to improved decision-making and strategic planning. Mr. Jin holds a Master's degree in Industrial and System Engineering from Lehigh University, as well as a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Hefei University of Technology. The Company believes that Zixun Jin is well qualified to serve on its board of directors due to his extensive experience in operations management and data analysis.


Shengming Shi, 43 years old, will serve as an independent director on the Company's Board. Currently Mr. Shi is a Partner Attorney at Kevin Kerveng Tung PC and has contributed extensive legal expertise to the firm since 2012. As a licensed Attorney in the State of New York since 2005, Mr. Shi specializes in business immigration law, corporate law, and complex real estate transactions. Prior to joining Kevin Kerveng Tung P.C. in 2012, Mr. Shi was associated with King & Wood Mallesons. Mr. Shi graduated with honors from Chicago-Kent College of Law with a Master's Degree in Laws (LL.M) and obtained his Bachelor Degree in Laws (LL.B) from East China University of Politics and Law. Mr. Shi was admitted to practice law in New York State Court, US District Court Eastern District of New York and US District Court Southern District of New York. The Company believes Shengming Shi is well qualified to serve on its board of directors due to his expertise in guiding companies through complex legal matters.