MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwire) -- 09/02/10 -- Note to editors: A photo for this release is available via Marketwire's website.

At a reception held yesterday at Head Office to honour the first recipients of National Bank Financial Group's Women in Finance scholarships, Laurent Ferreira, Executive Vice-President and Managing Director - Derivatives, awarded a total of $20,000 for the 2010-2011 academic year to three students in a finance-related graduate program.

"This initiative is unique in the financial industry. It will help identify talented and ambitious women and encourage them to continue graduate studies in a field related to capital markets while introducing them to the major financial institution, that is National Bank Financial Group," said Laurent Ferreira.

The three winners of the National Bank Financial Group's Women in Finance scholarships are:

--  Cindy Veilleux, holder of a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration
    - Finance from Universite Laval in Quebec City, will continue her
    studies in the MSc Finance program at the same university.
--  Siyang Wu, holder of an MBA - Financial Engineering, will continue her
    studies at HEC Montreal for a Doctorate - Operational Research.
--  Kimberly Leyde, holder of an MBA - Finance and Accounting from McMaster
    University's DeGroote School of Business in Hamilton, Ontario, will
    continue her studies in the MSc Finance program at Queen's School of
    Business in Kingston, Ontario.

In addition to receiving the scholarships, the three recipients will be paired with an experienced manager in the Financial Markets segment of National Bank Financial Group who will advise them during their studies. The two bursary recipients from Quebec will be counselled by Nathalie Jasmin, Managing Director - NBC Alternative Investments Inc., while the bursary recipient from Ontario will work with Susan Monteith, Managing Director and Head of Equity Capital Markets, National Bank Financial.

Candidates were selected by a jury made up of representatives from capital markets. Shortlisted candidates were then invited to participate in an interview.

National Bank Financial Group is pleased to continue in its commitment to integrating and promoting women at every level of the organization. As indicated in the Canadian Bankers Association 2008 Employment Equity Report, National Bank Financial Group ranks first among the six major Canadian banks when it comes to the representation of women in its workforce. In fact, 73% of National Bank Financial Group's employees are women.

More information on the many causes and projects the Financial Group supports as part of its commitment to the communities it serves can be found in our social responsibility report at www.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. National Bank has over $146 billion in assets and, together with its subsidiaries, employs 18,438 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.

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