Ms. Marie-France Poulin Nominated to Laurentian Bank's Board of Directors

    
    The Bank continues to lead the way in representation of women on its
    Board
    

MONTREAL , Oct. 22 /CNW Telbec/ - Mr. L. Denis Desautels , Chairman of the Board of Laurentian Bank, is pleased to announce the appointment to the Bank's Board of Directors of Ms. Marie-France Poulin, Vice-President of Camada Group, an enterprise specialized in investment and acquisition of mid-sized companies. With this nomination, five of Laurentian Bank's 13 directorships are now held by women, constituting the strongest female representation in all of the Canadian banking industry.

Ms. Poulin began her career with the family-owned company, MAAX, where she occupied several senior management positions. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Université Laval, which she obtained in 1985, as well as an university certification from "Collège des administrateurs de société" also obtained from Université Laval in 2007. She sits on a number of different Boards, including those of Hydro-Québec since 2004 and Université Laval since 2006.

Ms. Poulin replaces Mr. Pierre Michaud , who has decided to relinquish his directorship. Mr. Michaud was a member of the Bank's Board since 1990. "We are extremely pleased that Ms. Poulin has decided to join our team," underlined Mr. Desautels . "She brings with her an extensive range of skills and experience that will certainly enable her to contribute significantly to our discussions. I would also like to thank Mr. Pierre Michaud for his outstanding work and support during his close to 20 years on our Board."

Strong Representation of Women

Ms. Poulin becomes the fifth woman to sit on Laurentian Bank's Board of Directors. The other prominent women Board members are:

    
      -  Ève-Lyne Biron, President and CEO of "Laboratoire Médical Biron"
      -  Lise Bastarache, Economist and Corporate Director
      -  Isabelle Courville, President of Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie
      -  Jacqueline C. Orange, Corporate Director
    

"I am very proud of the female representation on our Board," added Mr. Desautels . "The men and women who serve as directors are highly competent and possess solid expertise that is widely recognized. With the role of Boards becoming increasingly demanding, it is essential to attract the most able individuals. We are truly fortunate to be able to count on the tremendous diversity of talent that our Board members bring to the Bank."

Laurentian Bank assigns a great deal of importance to maintaining best practices in the area of corporate governance. In fact, the organization was recognized last year by the Institute of Chartered Administrators for its excellent financial and stock performance.

About Laurentian Bank

Laurentian Bank of Canada is a banking institution operating across Canada and offering its clients diversified financial services. Differentiating itself through excellence in service, as well as through its simplicity and proximity, the Bank serves individual consumers and small and medium-sized businesses. The Bank also offers its products to a wide network of independent financial intermediaries through B2B Trust, as well as full-service brokerage solutions through Laurentian Bank Securities.

Laurentian Bank is well established in the Province of Quebec , operating the third-largest retail branch network. Elsewhere throughout Canada , it operates in specific market segments where it holds an enviable position. Laurentian Bank of Canada has more than $21 billion in balance sheet assets and more than $14 billion in assets under administration. Founded in 1846, the Bank employs more than 3,500 people.

For further information: Gladys Caron, Vice-présidente, Affaires publiques, communications et relations avec les investisseurs, [phone], poste 7511, [email protected]