+ Kelly LeBlanc appointed to the new position of Manager, Indigenous Relations contributing her understanding of First Nations' environmental and social issues, and her capacity to develop meaningful relationships focused on respect and sustainability
Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. ("NMG" or the "Company") ( NYSE: NMG , TSXV: NOU ) bolsters its leadership, depth, and execution capabilities with the nomination on its management team of Anoop Singh, P.Eng., as Vice President, Mining Projects, Josée Gagnon, LL.B, MBA, as Vice President, Legal Affairs & Corporate Secretary, and Kelly LeBlanc as Manager, Indigenous Relations. These nominations coincide with NMG's preparation for the transition towards its Phase 2 integrated commercial operations as internal teams and key consultants organize resources and expertise for the Company's next development phase.
Eric Desaulniers, Founder, President, and CEO of NMG, applauded the nominations: "I welcome Anoop, Josée, and Kelly to Team Nouveau Monde; I am excited to see such talented executives rallying behind our vision of driving the transition to a green future. I am confident they will help strengthen our management approach, diversify our perspectives, enhance our collective expertise, and help guide the development of NMG as a North American natural graphite leader for the battery and EV markets. Bienvenue!"
Anoop Singh
Starting on October 3, 2022, Anoop Singh is a civil engineer (McGill University) with nearly 20 years of experience in mining and heavy civil operations.
Mr. Singh will take on the role of Vice President, Mining Projects, looking after NMG's project management, engineering, procurement, and construction of the Matawinie Mine, as well as the potential development of the Lac Guéret graphite property as part of the Company's Phase 3 growth plan. He brings a demonstrated skillset in project management and construction of mining facilities that will be leveraged within the Operations division of the Company, in close collaboration with Environment, Health and Safety, Procurement, and Engineering teams.
Prior to joining NMG, Mr. Singh was Vice President, Strategic Development and Estimating at Bird Construction (previously H.J. O'Connell) where he managed multiple mining accounts over the years for clients such as ArcelorMittal, Rio Tinto, Cliffs, Vale, and Agnico Eagle. From the execution of $100-million-worth projects to Indigenous partnerships and the procurement and risk management of complex projects, Mr. Singh has acquired robust know-how in leading highly technical, timeline-focused contracts in the mining sector. His project portfolio includes new mine construction, reactivation of closed mines, open-pit operations, construction of tailings facilities, and other construction and support activities for several mining companies.
Josée Gagnon
Josée Gagnon is set to join the Company on October 11, 2022. The attorney (Québec Bar, California Bar, Montréal University graduate) and MBA-recipient (HEC) executive has been assisting private and public organizations in commercial, transactional and risk management law for the past 25 years.
Mrs. Gagnon will lead legal affairs at NMG as Vice President, Legal Affairs & Corporate Secretary. Her role will call upon her experienced advisory on business and legal issues in corporate development, commercial transactions, and project implementation to support the Company's current operations, planned development, and potential expansion.
Previously, Mrs. Gagnon was Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Just For Laughs where she ensured counsel on business activities and supported governance activities. She has also worked at Colabor Group, WSP Canada, EXP Services and Infrastructure Québec, namely, where she developed applied proficiency in contract negotiations, compliance, acquisitions, and team management within complex projects and corporate initiatives. She has contributed to the realization of the first public-private partnerships in Québec and major infrastructure projects in addition to several mergers and acquisitions, both in private practice and within companies.
Kelly LeBlanc
As of October 24, 2022, Kelly LeBlanc will bring to Company her 15-year experience in environmental and social impact assessment, First Nations' rights and interests, and stakeholder representation and coordination, backed by a Masters in Geography and Bachelor in International Studies (Montréal University).
Mrs. LeBlanc will liaise with Indigenous communities, leaders, and organizations in her new capacity as Manager, Indigenous Relations. She will develop engagement strategies to facilitate the participation of the Indigenous workforce, businesses and communities in NMG's activities, coordinate flagship partnerships that support Indigenous community priorities, and assist diversity, equity and inclusion efforts within the Company.
Mrs. LeBlanc joins NMG after having spent more than 10 years at the Cree Nation Government where she has developed an in-depth understanding of First Nations' environmental and social issues. She has worked at reconciling interests between nature conservation and territorial development through industrial activities while promoting respect for Aboriginal rights and active dialogue between cultures and knowledge.
About Nouveau Monde Graphite
NMG is striving to become a key contributor to the sustainable energy revolution. The Company is working towards developing a fully integrated source of carbon-neutral battery anode material in Québec, Canada for the growing lithium-ion and fuel cell markets. With low-cost operations and enviable ESG standards, NMG aspires to become a strategic supplier to the world's leading battery and automobile manufacturers, providing high-performing and reliable advanced materials while promoting sustainability and supply chain traceability. www.NMG.com
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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release including, but not limited to those describing the positive impact of the foregoing on the project economics, the development of the Company's Phase 2 commercial operations and potential development of the Phase 3 Lac Guéret graphite property, the Company's objective of being a North American natural graphite leader for the battery and EV markets and those statements which are discussed under the "About Nouveau Monde Graphite" paragraph and elsewhere in the press release which essentially describe the Company's outlook and objectives, constitute "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of Canadian and United States securities laws, and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Moreover, these forward-looking statements were based upon various underlying factors and assumptions, including the current technological trends, the business relationship between the Company and its stakeholders, the ability to operate in a safe and effective manner, the timely delivery and installation of the equipment supporting the production, the Company's business prospects and opportunities and estimates of the operational performance of the equipment, and are not guarantees of future performance.
Forward-looking statements are subject to known or unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Risk factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, delays in the scheduled delivery times of the equipment, the ability of the Company to successfully implement its strategic initiatives and whether such strategic initiatives will yield the expected benefits, the availability of financing or financing on favorable terms for the Company, the dependence on commodity prices, the impact of inflation on costs, the risks of obtaining the necessary permits, the operating performance of the Company's assets and businesses, competitive factors in the graphite mining and production industry, changes in laws and regulations affecting the Company's businesses, political and social acceptability risk, environmental regulation risk, currency and exchange rate risk, technological developments, the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the governments' responses thereto, and general economic conditions, as well as earnings, capital expenditure, cash flow and capital structure risks and general business risks. A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in NMG's Annual Information Form dated March 22, 2022, including in the section thereof captioned "Risk Factors", which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov . Unpredictable or unknown factors not discussed in this Cautionary Note could also have material adverse effects on forward-looking statements.
Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's expectations and plans relating to the future. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law.
The market and industry data contained in this press release is based upon information from independent industry publications, market research, analyst reports and surveys and other publicly available sources. Although the Corporation believes these sources to be generally reliable, market and industry data is subject to interpretation and cannot be verified with complete certainty due to limits on the availability and reliability of raw data, the voluntary nature of the data-gathering process and other limitations and uncertainties inherent in any survey. The Corporation has not independently verified any of the data from third-party sources referred to in this press release and accordingly, the accuracy and completeness of such data is not guaranteed.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Further information regarding the Company is available in the SEDAR database ( www.sedar.com ), and for United States readers on EDGAR ( www.sec.gov ), and on the Company's website at: www.NMG.com
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MEDIA
Julie Paquet
VP Communications & ESG Strategy
+1-450-757-8905 #140
jpaquet@nmg.com
INVESTORS
Marc Jasmin
Director, Investor Relations
+1-450-757-8905 #993
mjasmin@nmg.com
