NMG Appoints Stéphane Leblanc to Its Board of Directors
NMG Appoints Stéphane Leblanc to Its Board of Directors
• Leblanc, a senior mining executive with over 30 years of experience in the industry,
was previously serving as Managing Director, Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium,
overseeing operational and commercial responsibilities for the division.
• As a Director, Leblanc brings a unique combination of business and technical
expertise, as well as know how in respect to building and operating advanced
mining and processing facilities across the world.
MONTRÉAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--September 12, 2024--Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc.
(“NMG“ or the “Company”) (NYSE: NMG, TSX.V: NOU) proudly announces the appointment
of Stéphane Leblanc to its Board of Directors, effective September 10, 2024. A senior executive
with extensive global operational and functional leadership experience within diverse mining and
metals segments, Leblanc complements NMG’s Board of Directors as the Company approaches
the launch of its Phase-2 Matawinie Mine and Bécancour Battery Material Plant upon a positive
final investment decision.
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
Contacts
MEDIA
Julie Paquet
VP Communications & ESG Strategy
+1-450-757-8905 #140
INVESTORS
Marc Jasmin
Director, Investor Relations
+1-450-757-8905 #993