Powering Britain's
Battery Revolution
Powering Britain's
Battery Revolution
Distinguished leaders to guide energy storage research programmes and future strategy
Three new members have joined the Faraday Institution’s board of trustees, further strengthening the board’s strategic, industrial and research expertise: Dr Valentina Gentili, Professor Rachel O’Reilly and Robin Brundle.
The board of trustees, with the newly appointed trustees, bring multifaceted perspectives and experiences to the role of advising the Faraday Institution.
Announcing the new appointments, board chair Professor Sir Steven Cowley commented: “It is with great pleasure that we welcome the new members to the Board. Dr Valentina Gentili, VP of Global R&D for cell battery technology at Agratas, brings tremendous industry knowledge, experience and connections to the Board.
“Professor Rachel O’Reilly, University of Birmingham, is a distinguished chemist and academic who brings a wealth of experience from her role as Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research) on strategically steering research programmes and priorities.
“Robin Brundle, Executive Chairman of Technology Minerals PLC and Director and Co-founder of Recyclus Group, will bring his strategic vision, enthusiasm and commercial acumen to the board as well as his leadership in shaping innovation and sustainability in key industries including battery recycling and motorsport.”
Introducing the new board members:
Dr Valentina Gentili is a senior executive with over 20 years of experience in lithium-ion battery innovation and automotive R&D. As Vice President of Global R&D at Agratas, she leads international teams across the UK and India, advancing next-generation energy storage solutions and aligning technology strategy with commercial goals.
She previously held senior roles at Jaguar Land Rover, driving battery technology development and strategic collaborations, and at Johnson Matthey, where she led electrochemical R&D and supported global OEMs in pioneering battery innovation.
Valentina actively contributes to the UK’s energy strategy through advisory roles with the Faraday Institution, Faraday Battery Challenge and Automotive Council.
She holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of St Andrews and an MBA from LUISS Business School.
Rachel O’Reilly is a Professor of Chemistry and Pro-vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Birmingham. Previously she was Head of the School of Chemistry, having moved to Birmingham in 2018. She was a faculty member at the University of Warwick from 2008 to 2018 and has held fellowships from the EPSRC, the Royal Society and the ERC.
She got her first degree and MSci from the University of Cambridge and went on to complete her PhD at Imperial College London in 2003. Her group undertakes research in the area of catalysis, responsive polymers and materials, nanostructure characterisation and DNA nanomaterials. She has published over 250 papers and has received a number of awards. In 2020 she was awarded the RSC Corday-Morgan Prize and in 2022 she was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Robin Brundle is an accomplished business leader and an expert in the lithium-ion battery circular economy. As Executive Chairman of Technology Minerals PLC, he played a pivotal role in its listing on the London Stock Exchange in November 2021, making it the first UK-listed company to have established a circular economy for battery metals within a single group. He is also the co-founder and a director of Recyclus Group, a cutting-edge Greentech firm that is leading the industrial-scale recycling of Li-ion batteries in the UK.
Robin is a trusted contributor to government policy, serving on critical minerals and battery strategy committees in both Houses of Parliament. His expertise spans the automotive, motorsport and green energy sectors, in all of which he has driven transformational projects.
Robin led a $1 billion investment opportunity from Asia into the UK automotive industry, promoting an EV technology joint venture. His track record also includes spearheading UK tech transfers from an innovative space programme to the F1, defence and aerospace sectors and overseeing business turnarounds, notably for Aston Martin Racing and Lola Group Ltd. He was also at the forefront of steering the financial and cultural turnaround of an NHS hospital.
This page was published on 28 April 2025. On 1 July 2025 Val Gentili was appointed Director of the Battery Innovation Programme (formerly the Faraday Battery Challenge) and now has observer status at Board meetings.
Posted on April 28, 2025