Arne H Frandsen, Chair of NMG, declared: "On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome Stéphane to Team Nouveau Monde. To have his experience in building, operating and commercializing key mining assets in our jurisdiction and on the global scene represents a valuable addition to our group of talented directors. His insight will certainly help strengthen NMG's execution plan to become the Western World's largest fully integrated producer of natural graphite active anode material for the clean energy transition."
Eric Desaulniers, Founder, President, and CEO of NMG, stated: "I am thrilled to welcome Leblanc whose strategic vision and operational expertise will bolster our commitments to quality, ESG and profitability. As we enter a pivotal phase with the upcoming construction of our commercial Phase-2 facilities and continue to advance our growth plans, his leadership will be instrumental in steering us toward new heights of innovation and success. Bienvenue Stéphane!"
Leblanc was previously serving as Managing Director, Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium with operational, commercial and marketing responsibility for the division. Prior to this assignment, he was the Managing Director for Kennecott Utah Copper, as well as Kennecott's Chief Operating Officer. He also held the role of General Manager at Rio Tinto Alcan's Sebree smelter in Kentucky. Leblanc recently completed a career of over 30 years with Rio Tinto for where he held roles in operations management and health, safety and environment, including two years as Global Head of HSE for the Alcan smelter group.
With a strong track record of leading transformational efforts and cultivating safety and sustainability-driven cultures, Leblanc has a proven capability to drive strategic plans to increase business value and respond to business changes in complex context. Leblanc graduated from the University of Sherbrooke in Québec with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Directors Stephanie Andersen and Dr. Jürgen Köhler will be stepping down from their position by the end of the year.
About Nouveau Monde Graphite
Nouveau Monde Graphite is an integrated company developing responsible mining and advanced manufacturing operations to supply the global economy with carbon-neutral active anode material to power EV and renewable energy storage systems. The Company is developing a fully integrated ore-to-battery-material source of graphite-based active anode material in Québec, Canada. With enviable ESG standards and structuring partnerships with anchor customers, NMG is set to become a strategic supplier to the world's leading lithium-ion battery and EV manufacturers, providing high-performing and reliable advanced materials while promoting sustainability and supply chain traceability. www.NMG.com
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Cautionary Note
All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release including, but not limited to NMG's potential to become the largest fully integrated producer of natural graphite anode material in the West, the achievement of NMG's commitments to quality, ESG, and profitability, the attainment of new heights of innovation and success, as well as the construction of Phase 2 commercial facilities and the advancement of upcoming growth plans, and those statements which are discussed under the "About Nouveau Monde" 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 obtain sufficient financing for the development of the Matawinie Mine and the Bécancour Battery Material Plant, the Company's ability to provide high-performing and reliable advanced materials while promoting sustainability and supply chain traceability, the consumers demand for components in lithium-ion batteries for EVs and energy storage solutions, the ability to operate in a safe and effective manner, the timely delivery and installation at estimated prices of the equipment supporting the production, assumed sale prices for graphite concentrate, the accuracy of any Mineral Resource estimates, future currency exchange rates and interest rates, political and regulatory stability, prices of commodity and production costs, the receipt of governmental, regulatory and third party approvals, licenses and permits on favorable terms, sustained labor stability, stability in financial and capital markets, availability of equipment and critical supplies, spare parts and consumables, the various tax assumptions, CAPEX and OPEX estimates, all economic and operational projections relating to the project, local infrastructures, 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, those risks, 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, including the changes in China's policy regarding restrictions on Chinese graphite materials exportations, political and social acceptability risk, environmental regulation risk, currency and exchange rate risk, technological developments, 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 27, 2024, including in the section thereof captioned "Risk Factors", which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca 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 Company 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 Company 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.sedarplus.ca ), 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
Figure 1: Location of International Graphite projects, in Western Australia
Figure 2: Mason Bay Cross-section showing multiple graphite zones intersected for SGDD0014 and SGDD0015
Figure 1: Inspecting the facility (left to right) IG6 Managing Director and CEO Andrew Worland, with the Prime Minister and Collie Project Manager Josh Hearse.
Figure 2: L_R Managing Director & CEO Andrew Worland, Prime Minister Albanese, Chairman Phil Hearse, Minister Chris Bowen.