Pensana Names Karen Brown COO as Longonjo Rare Earths Project Advances
London-listed Pensana, a company building a sustainable magnet metal supply chain, has appointed Karen Brown as Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective October 1.
She succeeds Rocky Smith, who will continue to advise Pensana as part of the owner’s team for the Longonjo rare earths project in Angola.
Pensana CEO Tim George praised Smith’s contributions over the past five years, noting:
“Rocky’s expertise has been instrumental in navigating the project’s development stages. We are fortunate to retain his guidance while also giving him well-deserved time for family commitments.
I am particularly pleased that Karen, who has been advising us for the past year, will seamlessly step into the broader COO role.”
Brown brings more than two decades of rare earth industry experience to Pensana. She spent 21 years as Managing Director at Neo Materials Chemicals & Oxides for Europe, part of Neo Performance Materials, a global leader in magnetic powders, rare earth magnets, specialty chemicals, metals, and alloys.
During her tenure, she:
Oversaw new product development and international human capital strategy across factories in Thailand, China, and the US.
Played a key role in rare earth chemical engineering.
Supervised the development of Neo’s Jiangyin separation facility in China, a cornerstone of the company’s global operations.
More recently, Brown has worked closely with Pensana as a consultant, focusing on downstream activities and market strategy, giving her in-depth knowledge of the company’s objectives and direction.
Looking Ahead
Commenting on her new role, Brown said:
“I am honoured to join Pensana as COO at such a pivotal stage of the Longonjo project. Drawing on my extensive experience in rare earths and international operations, I look forward to working with the talented Pensana team to deliver operational excellence, expand market presence, and drive sustainable growth in this critical sector.”
