Nancy Paquet Honoured at the Gala des Talentueuses of the Association of Quebec Women in Finance

MONTREAL, April 25, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - National Bank congratulates Nancy Paquet, President of National Bank Direct Brokerage, who has been honoured in the "Rising Star" category, respectively, at the eighth annual gala of the of Quebec Women in Finance (AFFQ). Another leader of National Bank's Women's Leadership Network, Sophie Ducharme, Vice-President - Trust and Advisory Services, was also finalist in the "Leadership" category. The AFFQ awards highlight the engagement, involvement and excellence of women who have distinguished themselves in the finance industry during the year.

"National Bank is proud to see that the talent and expertise of two of its leaders is being recognized throughout Quebec. Of all the Canadian banks, our institution has one of the highest levels of representation of women in upper management," stated Evelyne Bundock, Vice-President - Talent Management at National Bank. "The Bank advocates adopting pro-diversity human resources practices and creating internal networks. The Women's Leadership Network, for example, supports women pursuing careers at National Bank who are seeking to move up within the organization as managers."

This accomplishment is the most recent in a series of distinctions the Bank has received in the past year, reflecting both its employees' commitment and clients' trust, namely:

• Best Employers in Quebec (Aon Hewitt)
• Best Employer for New Canadians (Mediacorp Canada);
• Canada's Best Diversity Employers (Mediacorp Canada);
• Canada's 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures^TM (Waterstone Human Capital)
• 50 Best Employers in Canada (Aon Hewitt)
• Best Canadian Brands (Interbrand)
• World's strongest banks (Bloomberg Markets)

About National Bank of Canada
With $184 billion in assets as at January 31, 2013, National Bank of Canada (www.nbc.ca) together with its subsidiaries, forms one of Canada's leading integrated financial groups, and has been named among the five strongest banks in the world by Bloomberg Markets. The Bank has close to 20,000 employees and is widely recognized as a top employer. Its securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA). Follow the Bank's activities via social media and learn more about its extensive community involvement at clearfacts.ca and commitment.nationalbank.ca.

SOURCE: National Bank of Canada