Nouveau Monde Graphite Strengthens Project Management Team and Board of Directors
SAINT-MICHEL-DES-SAINTS, Québec, May 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (« Nouveau Monde ») (TSX VENTURE: NOU) is pleased to announce the following strategic additions to its Matawinie project team and Board of Directors.
MARTINE PARADIS, VICE-PRESIDENT – CHIEF ENGINEER INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENT
Ms. Martine Paradis is a geological engineer with eighteen years of experience in mining and engineering. She holds a master’s degree in Earth Science on mine site reclamation and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Ms. Paradis consulted as an engineer, project manager and manager on various projects related to geochemistry, hydrogeology, climatic change, field work, mine reclamation techniques, tailings and water management and engineering, and mine project development. She has also worked for the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources for the reclamation of abandoned mine sites, follow-up of active mine sites and several ministerial dossiers. At Nouveau Monde she will oversee engineering and planning for civil and environmental infrastructure projects.
ALAIN DORVAL, VICE-PRESIDENT - CHIEF ENGINEER METALLURGY AND PROCESS
Mr. Alain Dorval is a respected and established mining engineer with over 35 years of experience specializing in mineral processing. Throughout his career, he has worked in the fields of engineering, industrial operations and research. He has collaborated to develop several mineral processing techniques for a wide variety of mineral types. He has carried out several evaluation audits of ore processing plants for expansion projects and for investors. Mr. Dorval has also participated in numerous studies as a senior process engineer, expert engineer and qualified person (QP) NI 43-101 for various projects located in Australia, Canada, Chile, the United States, French Guiana, Guyana, India, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Mexico, Suriname and Venezuela. A respected mineral processing professional, he constantly collaborates with internationally renowned equipment suppliers and research laboratories on the development of mineralurgical processes. His experience as an expert in mineral processing and in engineering team management will allow Nouveau Monde Graphite to efficiently optimize the demonstration plant and the detailed engineering of the future commercial plant. In addition, he will take an active role in future product development at Nouveau Monde.
Eric Desaulniers, President and CEO of Nouveau Monde commented, “I am delighted to welcome such accomplished technical professionals to our team. Their presence significantly strengths our technical capability and our ability to execute and deliver the Matawinie project.”
ARNE H. FRANDSEN, DIRECTOR OF THE BOARD
Mr. Arne H. Frandsen is the Co-Managing Partner of The Pallinghurst Group. Mr. Frandsen has a LL.B and Master’s in Law from Copenhagen University. He has over 10 years of investment banking experience with Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan, providing strategic advice and structuring mergers and acquisitions, as well as corporate finance transactions for clients in 30 different countries. In 2005, Mr. Frandsen left investment banking in order to become the Chief Executive Officer of Incwala Resources, one of South Africa’s leading black economic empowerment mining companies. Mr. Frandsen was one of the founders of The Pallinghurst Group in 2006 and has been instrumental in the group’s development. In addition, he is the Chairman of Sedibelo Platinum Mines.
CHRISTOPHER SHEPHERD, DIRECTOR OF THE BOARD
At The Pallinghurst Group for the last 10 years, Mr. Christopher Shepherd is a Managing Director and the Head of Corporate Finance of The Pallinghurst Group, spearheading the execution team for most of its investments. He is a Chartered Accountant (CA) since 2002 and holds a bachelor’s degree in Applied Finance and Commerce from Macquarie University, in Sydney, Australia. Mr. Shepherd has 20 years of experience in private equity, investment banking and accounting, with a focus on the natural resources industry and mining operations.
Desaulniers continued, “I am very pleased to welcome Arne Frandsen and Christopher Shepherd to our Board of Directors. Both gentlemen bring extensive capital markets expertise with a focus on mining. Their unique talents and perspectives are accretive to that of our existing board members and I look forward to working with my expanded Board of Directors as we collaborate on the strategies to bring the Matawinie project to production.”
The Board of Directors has granted a total of 1,125,000 stock options to executive officers. These stock options are granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Corporation’s stock option plan. Each stock option entitles the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $ 0.235 per common share for a period of 5 years from the date of grant.