INTERNATIONAL BATTERY METALS LTD. ANNOUNCES MICHAEL RUTLEDGE AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER OF THE COMPANY

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VANCOUVER, BC and HOUSTON, June 2, 2025 /CNW/ - International Battery Metals Ltd. ("IBAT" or the "Company") (TSXV: IBAT) is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Rutledge to serve as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Prior to his appointment as Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Rutledge has served as interim Chief Financial Officer of the Company since March 6, 2025.

Stacked IBAT (CNW Group/International Battery Metals Ltd.)
Stacked IBAT (CNW Group/International Battery Metals Ltd.)

Mr. Rutledge, CPA, is a seasoned financial executive with extensive experience as chief financial officer of multiple publicly traded companies across various industries. He has a strong background in corporate finance, SEC reporting, and strategic growth initiatives, including IPOs and M&A.

Joseph Mills, Chief Executive Officer commented "We are very pleased to have Michael joining the leadership team at IBAT.   During Michael's tenure as Interim CFO, he has proven strong leadership qualities and has worked tirelessly to help the IBAT team move the Company to its strategic goals of deploying the first large scale commercial DLE technology.   We are very excited to welcome Michael to the leadership team ".

In accordance with Mr. Rutledge's employment agreement with the Company (the "Employment Agreement") and the Company's restricted share unit plan (the "RSU Plan"), the Company has granted to Mr. Rutledge 450,000 restricted share units ("RSU"), which RSUs will vest in full on the first anniversary of their date of issuance and an additional 900,000 RSUs, which RSUs will vest in full on the date that the Company completes the building and deployment (with secured financing) of two additional Direct Lithium Extraction plants (in addition to the exiting DLE plant that the Company is currently planning to deploy). All RSUs are subject to accelerated vesting in the event of change in control and the terms and conditions of the RSU Plan.

About International Battery Metals Ltd.

The Company's direct lithium extraction technology is based on proprietary lithium extraction media housed in patented extraction towers that are enclosed in a modular, transportable platform that is able to be loaded and brought into production within a condensed time frame after arrival on a customer site.

Utilizing the patented technology, the Company's focus has been on advanced extraction of lithium chloride from ground water salt brine deposits and returning the same water to the subsurface aquifer. The Company's unique patented technology ensures faster delivery of lithium chloride while ensuring minimal environmental impact.