Natcan adds a Manager and two Analysts to strengthen its team

Natcan Investment Management is pleased to announce the appointment of Martin Delage, Vice-President – Bonds, and Rouxel Charbonneau, Analyst, to the fixed income securities team. Marc Christopher Lavoie also joins the international equities team as Analyst.

"These professionals have been chosen specifically because they share our investment culture. As we are very committed to our style and our convictions, we wanted to find individuals who would show the same discipline in applying our investment principles," explained Sam Reda, President and Chief Operating Officer at Natcan Investment Management. These three new members bring the number of institutional fund management professionals at Natcan to 40. As one of the largest institutional fund management firms in Canada, Natcan has seen its assets under management grow significantly in recent years to over $20 billion . At the same time, considerable efforts have been made to develop markets outside Quebec, making it increasingly important to ensure the depth of Natcan's management teams.

As Vice-President – Bonds, Mr. Delage will assist the Senior Vice-President, Bruno Bourgeois, who manages the team. Together, they will work to map out strategies with respect to duration, positioning on the interest rate curve, and sector deviations. Mr. Delage, a CFA with an MA from Université de Sherbrooke, began his career in 1990. Before joining Natcan, Mr. Delage was Vice-President, Fixed Income Securities at Optimum Asset Management Inc.

Rouxel Charbonneau will oversee quantitative analysis (risk and performance breakdown) and development of management systems for the fixed income securities team. Previously, Mr. Charbonneau was Analyst, Risk Management and Systems, Stock Market at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. He has an MBA from the École des Hautes Études Commerciales.

Marc Christopher Lavoie, CA, M.Sc. and CFA, will support the international equities team with analysis activities, more specifically, selecting securities for the European region. Mr. Lavoie began his career in 2000 as a Business Acquisition Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

About Natcan Investment Management Inc.

Founded in 1990, Natcan Investment Management Inc. is a National Bank subsidiary that is 25% held by its management team. Recognized as one of the largest institutional fund managers in Canada, Natcan Investment Management Inc. specializes in portfolio management for pension funds, endowment funds, pooled funds and wealth management. It favours a versatile management style focused on value creation, capital preservation and a disciplined approach. Natcan Investment Management Inc., whose activities extend to markets around the world, has $20 billion in assets under management and 89 employees.

About the National Bank

National Bank of Canada is an integrated group which provides comprehensive financial services to consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations in its core market, while offering specialized services to its customers elsewhere in the world. The National Bank offers a full array of banking services, including corporate and investment banking. It is an active player on international capital markets and, through its subsidiaries, is involved in securities brokerage, insurance and wealth management, as well as mutual fund and retirement plan management. The National Bank has more than $75 billion in assets and, together with its subsidiaries, employs over 17,000 people. The Bank's securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (NA: TSX). For more information, visit the Bank's website at www.nbc.ca.

Information (the telephone number and e-mail address provided below are for the exclusive use of journalists and other media representatives):

Denis Dubé
Director – Public Relations
National Bank of Canada
Tel.: (514) 394-8644
E-mail: denis.dube@nbc.ca