Redefining Finance for the Energy Transition
On a recent Price of Business show, Host Kevin Price interviewed François Motte Sauter, Chief Financial Officer of Aclara (TSX: ARA), a clean-tech mining company committed to the sustainable sourcing of heavy rare earth elements (HREEs), focusing on Dysprosium (Dy) and Terbium (Tb), from ionic clay deposits. These elements are critical for the transition to electric mobility, renewable energy, and national defense systems.
This week, The Wall Street Journal featured Aclara in an article highlighting the company’s strategic expansion into Brazil to establish a rare-earths mine aimed at supplying a U.S. processing plant. This move is part of a broader industry trend to diversify rare-earth mineral production beyond China amid rising geopolitical tensions and new tariffs.
They discussed how finance leaders are playing a pivotal role in enabling the global energy transition, particularly in sectors like mining and clean tech where innovation, sustainability, and geopolitics converge. François shared how Aclara is building a vertically integrated mine-to-magnets supply chain for heavy rare earth elements—critical materials used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and electronics.
“In today’s world, a CFO is no longer just a steward of capital—we’re architects of sustainable growth,” said François Motte Sauter. “At Aclara, we’ve embedded environmental responsibility, cutting-edge technology, and vertical integration into our core strategy from day one. This isn’t just good governance—it’s good business.”
With over 15 years of experience in the Hochschild Group, which now holds a majority stake in Aclara, François has held leadership roles spanning treasury, cost control, and corporate strategy. His expertise in capital planning and risk management has helped position Aclara as a leading rare earths company.
To learn more, visit: https://aclara-re.com
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