Denise Gray receives Lifetime Achievement Award at Benchmark Giga US 2026

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the world’s leading provider of critical mineral price data and market intelligence for the energy transition, today (10 June 2026) announced that Denise Gray, one of the most prominent leaders in the battery storage space, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Benchmark Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was presented at Giga US 2026 in Washington DC.

Now in its fourth year, the Benchmark Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates individuals whose leadership and vision have shaped modern energy supply chains. Denise Gray joins an esteemed group of past recipients that includes:

• Bob Galyen, former CTO at CATL and CTO at NAATBatt International

• Arnold Schwarzenegger, Former Governor of California

• JB Straubel, co-founder of Tesla and CEO of Redwood Materials

• Senator Lisa Murkowski, United States Senator from Alaska

• Prof. Sir Stanley Whittingham, Nobel Prize winner and pioneer of the lithium-ion battery

Denise Gray said: “I'm honoured to receive the award. It does mean a lot to me, because it continues to highlight those of us who are in this industry that continue to push the capability of the technology. I think we have to continue to do that. Especially with so many things going on around the world, we can’t lose sight of those innovators, those who are working in research and development.

“I'm hoping that receiving the award highlights the need to continue to encourage those who are working in technology and innovation to keep doing that, because it will pay off. It may not be in the very, very, very, very short term, because it takes time to deploy and implement technology.”

Benchmark’s CEO Andy Miller said: “Denise is receiving the award because of the pivotal roles she played across LG and GM, improving battery performance, safety and commercialisation across the industry. She is one of very few industry leaders that have experience across the supply chain from battery producer, to consumer, to emerging technology provider. Denise is also one of the most prominent female leaders in the global battery sector, reflecting her professional excellence and role in fostering diversity.”

From GM to LG: Denise Gray’s career

Gray’s storied career began at General Motors in 1981, when she joined the engineering department following her Master’s degree at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Over the course of 30 years, Gray held many roles including several Director positions from 2000 onwards. Between 2006 and 2010, Gray was the Director of Energy Storage Systems. Whilst at GM, Gray oversaw the development of the Chevrolet Bolt, GM’s first commercial foray into the modern EV market. Whilst at GM, Gray oversaw the development of the Chevrolet Bolt, GM’s first commercial foray into the modern EV market.

“I worked at GM from the time I was 17 years old until I was 47 years old. So 30 years of being a part of a global company that worked on technology as the automobile evolved,” Gray said. “I grew up in the early days, as we were electrifying the vehicle. It went – and it's a slow progression – from automatic doors and windows and displays to automatic brakes and steering and throttle control and then moving into the engine, the power train, the engine transmission. With electronics and electrical systems, we were able to transform and make those systems better, more efficient.”

After GM, Gray spent almost three years as Vice President of Atieva, the company now known as Lucid, and a similar amount of time as Vice President for Powertrain Electrification at AVL in Europe.

In 2015, Gray became President and CEO of LG Chem Power, which spun off its battery business to form LG Energy Solution in 2020, with Gray at the helm of its Michigan tech centre. In 2022, Gray changed tack to become the company’s Head of External Affairs and Government Relations for North America.

Since leaving LG Energy Solution in 2023, Gray has been CEO of her own company, DKTN Consulting, and spends most of her time on corporate boards, which she describes as "extremely fulfilling”. One of the boards Gray sits on is Mitra Chem, a US-based developer using AI to accelerate the Western scale-up of lithium ion phosphate (LFP) cathode active materials.

“What I'm most proud of is having the opportunity: the opportunity to contribute at amazing companies, to contribute to future technology deployment and innovations. That has just been priceless,” Gray said.