National Bank awards $ 84,000 in bursaries to 25 deserving student-athlete – The title of the feed item

National Bank awards $ 84,000 in bursaries to 25 deserving student-athletes during the 20th edition of its Bursary Program in collaboration with the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence

Montreal, 11 April 2012 -

Mr. Louis Vachon, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Bank and Ms. Lise-Anne Amyot, Senior Manager, Brand Image revealed the names of the 25 student-athletes who received $84,000 in financial support under the 20th edition of the National Bank Bursary Program.

“The 2012 edition is particularly important for us since it highlights the 20 years of existence of the National Bank Bursary Program,” declared Mr. Vachon. “It is a great source of pride for National Bank to have contributed to the development of young athletes for so long,” he added.

The Foundation’s President, Claude Chagnon, is very pleased and wanted to thank National Bank for its unfailing support for twenty years as well as for its loyalty and generosity toward the Foundation: “National Bank understood a long time ago the importance of supporting, not only student-athletes who shine on the international scene, but more importantly, lesser known athletes who do not yet have access to the funding they need. Since 1993, National bank has been setting an example in the private sector with its support of Quebecstudent-athlete,” explained Mr. Chagnon.

One of the objectives of the National Bank Bursary Program, established in 1993, is to support highly promising but unknown young athletes who do not yet have access to the funding needed to help them progress on the international scene. Eight student-athletes aged 14 to 18 will receive a $2,000 Hopeful bursary, six athletes aged 15 to 21 will receive a $4,000 Elite bursary and eleven others, aged 20 to 29, will receive a $4,000 Excellence bursary.

Among them are six student-athletes who are qualified for this summer’s London Olympic Games : Philippe Beaudry in fencing (saber), Marie-Pier Boudreau-Gagnon in syncrhonized swimming, Roseline Filion in diving, Barbara Jardin in swimming, Sébastien Michaud in taekwondo and David Tremblay in Olympic wrestling as well as two Olympic medallists from the Vancouver   Games, double Silver medalist in short track speed skatingMarianne St-Gelais and Gold medalist in the pursuit in long track speed skating, Mathieu Giroux.

2012 National Bank Bursary Program recipients
Eight bursaries of $2,000 (Hopeful), six bursaries of $4,000 (Elite) and eleven bursaries of $4,000 (Excellence).

About National Bank of Canada
National Bank of Canada is an integrated group that provides comprehensive financial services to consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations in its core market, while offering specialized services to its clients elsewhere in the world. National Bank offers a full array of banking services, including retail, 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. As at January 31, 2012, National Bank has over CDN$175 billion in assets in accordance with IFRS and, together with its subsidiaries, employs 19,785 people. The Bank’s securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA). For more information, visit the Bank’s website at www.nbc.ca. To access National Bank of Canada’s financial literacy portal, visit www.clearfacts.ca.

About the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence
The mission of the Foundation is to financially support and encourage student-athletes in their pursuit of excellence and to promote athletes as role models in Quebec society. Over the past five years, the Foundation has awarded more than 3.4 million dollars in bursaries to student-athletes in the past five years and will distribute a minimum of $925,000 in 2012. Please visit our new website at www.faeq.com and like our new Facebook page: FAEQ – Fondation de l’athlète d’excellence du Québec.

Information (the telephone number provided below is for the exclusive use of journalists and other media representatives):

http://thebankerwhosavedhissoul.com/national-bank-awards-84000-in-bursaries-to-25-deserving-student-athlete/ – The link to the feed item

National Bank Presents the André-Bérard Award to Gianni Crivello and Highlights the Volunteer Work of Four Other Employees – The title of the feed item

Montreal, 5 April 2012 -

National Bank proudly acknowledged the social commitment and involvement of its current and retired employees at its Annual Meeting of Employees, held yesterday in Montreal. For his involvement with the Cure Scleroderma Foundation, Gianni Crivello received the André-Bérard Award for 2011-2012, the highest honour in National Bank’s employee and retired employee volunteer program. The award also includes a $5,000 donation for the organization in which Mr. Crivello is active.

Gianni Crivello, Chief Advisor – Network Growth at National Bank Financial in Montreal, has been involved with various organizations for over 16 years. He seeks to help those in need, driven by his belief that he can make a difference. Since 2006, Mr. Crivello has been actively involved in the Foundation he cofounded with a Canadian scleroderma specialist, Dr. Murray Baron of the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. The goal of this foundation is to raise funds to support Canadian scleroderma researchers and to raise awareness of this disease among the general public.

“I am very happy to receive the National Bank André-Bérard Award which I humbly accept. This particular honor incites me to get even more involved with scleroderma research in order to raise public awareness of this terrible disease”, said Mr. Crivello.

Three other employees and a retired employee were also recognized for their community involvement:

- Roger Castonguay, retiree, former Investment Advisor, National Bank Financial, Beloeil;
- Michel Chiasson, Account Manager – Commercial Banking, National Bank, Caraquet;
- Danny Goode, Senior Analyst – Collection Department, National Bank, Mascouche;
- Daniel Lanteigne, Advisor – Innovation and Quality and Strategic Initiatives Office, National Bank, Montreal.

They each received an “Our hearts are with you” Award as well as a $1,000 donation for the organization they support.

Mr. Lanteigne also received a special mention and an additional $2,000 donation for the organization which he supports.

Daniel Lanteigne has been volunteering with The War Amps for nearly 10 years. This is his way of building a more inclusive society. His involvement with The War Amps is multifaceted: he provides support for amputees and their loved ones, acts as a media spokesperson, helped draft a document on prevention for schools and day camps, and has been a guest speaker for seminars on prevention and safety. In 2011, Mr. Lanteigne also worked with the Comité d’adaptation de la main-d’oeuvre (CAMO) pour personnes handicapées.

“Our employees and retired employees play an active role in their respective communities, and eight years ago we set up the “Our hearts are with you program” to recognize their dedication. On behalf of the management of National Bank, I would like to congratulate our 2011-2012 award winners—all of whom are committed volunteers who work for the good of society,” said Louis Vachon, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Bank, at the Annual Meeting of Employees.

The André-Bérard Award, named in honour of a former National Bank President known for his community involvement, recognizes employees and retirees who have made a significant contribution through their volunteer activities. It is part of the “Our hearts are with you” recognition program, which supports employee volunteer activities, rewards their efforts, and enhances the impact of their actions with financial contributions to the organizations that are near and dear to their hearts.

Every year, through its donations and sponsorships program and the initiatives of its employees, National Bank helps support hundreds of organizations across Canada. It focuses primarily on four main areas of activity—health, education, arts and culture, and community outreach—with the goal of generating positive benefits for communities.

To find out more about National Bank’s involvement in the community, visit the Bank’s social commitment portal at www.commitment.nationalbank.ca, or consult its Social Responsibility Report atwww.nbc.ca/socialresponsibility.

About National Bank of Canada
National Bank of Canada is an integrated group that provides comprehensive financial services to consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations in its core market, while offering specialized services to its clients elsewhere in the world. National Bank offers a full array of banking services, including retail, 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. As at January 31, 2012, National Bank has over CDN$175 billion in assets in accordance with IFRS and, together with its subsidiaries, employs 19,785 people. The Bank’s securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA). For more information, visit the Bank’s website at www.nbc.ca. To access National Bank of Canada’s financial literacy portal, visit www.clearfacts.ca.

Information (The telephone number provided below is for the exclusive use of journalists and other media representatives.):

Joan Beauchamp
Senior Advisor – Public Affairs
National Bank
Tel.: 514-394-6500

http://thebankerwhosavedhissoul.com/national-bank-presents-the-andre-berard-award-to-gianni-crivello-and-highlights-the-volunteer-work-of-four-other-employees/ – The link to the feed item