Ana Cabral Gardner

Ana Cabral Gardner is the CEO and co-chairperson of Sigma Lithium, a company in the global lithium industry and a pioneer in environmental and social sustainability within the battery supply chain. Under Cabral Gardner's leadership, Sigma Lithium has become one of the largest hard rock lithium producers in the world, recognized for its commitment to carbon-neutral and socially responsible operations. Cabral Gardner's vision has positioned the company at the forefront of the green energy transition, earning recognition such as Mining Person of the Year by The Northern Miner and Industrial Person of the Year by the Minas Gerais Industry Federation, as well as acknowledgment by Forbes as one of the world's top women over 50 trailblazers.

With more than 25 years of experience as a senior banker at global investment banks—including Goldman Sachs, Barclays, and Merrill Lynch—Cabral Gardner has been instrumental in over 150 capital markets and M&A transactions totaling more than $120 billion. She co-founded A10 Investimentos, a private equity boutique focused on sustainable investments, which became the controlling shareholder of Sigma Lithium. Her expertise in finance and her strategic approach have enabled Sigma Lithium to thrive through industry downturns and set new standards for value-added, sustainable mining in Brazil and internationally.

Cabral Gardner is also a public speaker and advocate for women in leadership, having co-founded Mulheres do Brasil, Brazil’s largest female leaders’ organization. She serves on the Global Advisory Board of Columbia University Global Centers and is known for articulating the intersection of sustainability, innovation, and economic development. Her career is marked by a commitment to impact investing and a track record of transforming challenges into opportunities for industry-wide change.