Isabelle Courville becomes Chairwoman of Laurentian Bank's Board of Directors

- Annual Meeting of Shareholders -

MONTREAL, March 20, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Laurentian Bank is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Isabelle Courville as a Chairwoman of its Board of Directors, following its Annual Meeting of Shareholders held today at the Montréal Science Centre.

Ms. Courville succeeds Mr. L. Denis Desautels who sat on the Board for the past 11 years, including 10 as Chairman. Ms. Courville has been a director of the Bank since 2007. An engineer and a lawyer, Ms. Courville was, until recently, President of Hydro-Québec Distribution. Her extensive knowledge of the Bank, combined with her impressive career track record, make Ms. Courville an ideal candidate for the Chair's position.

The Bank's shareholders also voted on the composition of the Board of Directors, with the addition of a new member - Mr. Michel Lavigne. A Fellow of the Québec Order of Professional Chartered Accountants and a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, Mr. Lavigne was a partner at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, where he served as President and CEO from 2001 to 2005.  Here are the members of Laurentian Bank's Board of Directors for the current fiscal year:

Isabelle Courville (Director since March 6, 2007)
Chairwoman of the Board
Corporate director

Pierre Anctil (Director since March 15, 2011)
President and CEO, Fiera Axium Infrastructure Inc.

Lise Bastarache (Director since March 7, 2006)
Economist and Corporate director

Jean Bazin, Q.C. (Director since September 1st, 2002 and from 1990 to 2000)
Counsel with Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, Barristers and Solicitors

Richard Bélanger, FCPA, FCA (Director since March 20, 2003)
President, Toryvel Group Inc.

Pierre Genest (Director since March 7, 2006)
Chairman of the Board of SSQ Life Insurance Company Inc.

Michel Labonté (Director since March 10, 2009)
Corporate director

A. Michel Lavigne, FCPA, FCA (Director since March 19, 2013)
Corporate director

Jacqueline C. Orange (Director since October 9, 2009)
Corporate director

Marie-France Poulin (Director since March 7, 2006)
Vice-President, Camada Group Inc.

Réjean Robitaille, FCPA, FCA (Director since December 13, 2006)
President and CEO, Laurentian Bank

Michelle R. Savoy (Director since March 20, 2012)
Corporate director

Jonathan I. Wener, C.M. (Director since January 22, 1998)
Chairman of the Board, Canderel Management Inc.

About Laurentian Bank

Laurentian Bank of Canada is a pan-Canadian banking institution that has more than $34 billion in balance sheet assets and $36 billion in assets under administration. Founded in 1846, Laurentian Bank was selected in 2012 as one of the 10 winners of the Canada's Passion Capitalists program in recognition of its sustained success through the promotion of passion within its ranks. The Bank employs more than 4,200 people.

Recognized for its excellent service, proximity and simplicity, Laurentian Bank serves more than one million clients in market segments in which it holds an enviable position. In addition to occupying a choice position among consumers in Québec, where it operates the third largest branch network, the Bank has built a solid reputation across Canada in the area of real estate and commercial financing thanks to its teams working out of more than 35 offices in Ontario, Québec, Alberta and British Columbia. Its subsidiary, B2B Bank, is a Canadian leader in providing banking products as well as investment accounts and services to financial advisors and brokers, while Laurentian Bank Securities is an integrated broker, widely recognized for its expertise and effectiveness nationwide.

Image with caption: "Isabelle Courville becomes Chairwoman of Laurentian Bank's Board of Directors (CNW Group/Laurentian Bank of Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130320_C6017_PHOTO_EN_24677.jpg

SOURCE: Laurentian Bank of Canada