National Bank (TSX:NA) congratulates Lynn Jeanniot, Executive Vice-President of Human Resources and Corporate Affairs for once again receiving a prestigious Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100™ Award, under the Corporate Executives category. This is the second year in a row that Ms. Jeanniot has been presented this distinction by the Women's Executive Network.

"I am honoured to be ranked once again among the most dynamic women in Canada," said Lynn Jeanniot. "This is an honour that I share with the Bank and the members of my team. I would like to thank them for the confidence they've placed in me and for the commitment they demonstrate each day. Having a strong team is truly key to any leader's success."

"In 2011, the Bank earned a number of distinctions for its qualities as an employer. These can be attributed to changes brought about through the One client, one bank initiative, which Ms. Jeanniot has been instrumental in promoting," noted National Bank's President and Chief Executive Officer, Louis Vachon. "This second nomination to the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada underscores Ms. Jeanniot's major contribution to the Bank's progress."

Throughout her 25-year career in the financial sector, Ms. Jeanniot's vision and drive have brought her much success. More recently, Ms. Jeanniot has been playing a key role in the successful organizational transformation of National Bank. Among other things, she conducted a review of the Human Resources vision and model, put forward a more client-centric and proactive culture into corporate functions and strongly contributed to implementing an enterprise-wide performance management system directly linked to operational objectives.

Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100™ is a prestigious Canadian award for the highest achieving female leaders in the country, in their industry. Lynn Jeanniot joins a community of 584 women across Canada who has received this recognition since its inception. The complete list of 2011 winners can be found at [ www.top100women.ca ].

Complete biographical notes for Lynn Jeanniot are available on request. Contact Catherine Deshaies (514-394-5000, ext. 2393 or [ catherine.deshaies@nbc.ca ]). Photos of the gala ceremony, to be held on December 1 in Toronto, will be available on Monday, December 5, 2011.

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. National Bank has over $153 billion in assets and, together with its subsidiaries, employs 19,217 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's financial education portal, visit [ www.clearfacts.ca ].

The photo associated with this press release is available at the following address: [ http://www.marketwire.com/library/20111201-LJ-800.jpg ]

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Lynn Jeanniot Once Again Named One of Canada's Most Powerful Women

Lynn Jeanniot Once Again Named One of Canada's Most Powerful Women