QNB Metals Inc. announced the appointment of Mario Bouchard as the Company's Director of the board effective November 7, 2023. Until his retirement in June 2020, Mario Bouchard was assistant deputy minister for strategic industries and major economic projects at the Ministry of Economy and Innovation for around fifteen years. Previously, he held the position of Associate Deputy Minister of Energy for four years at the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Finally, he worked at the Ministry of Finance for around twenty years, notably as assistant deputy minister responsible for state corporations and economic projects. During his 42-year career within the government in economic-oriented positions for nearly four decades, Mr. Bouchard was involved in most of the major projects involving the financing of businesses by the government and the creation of state corporations and privatizations. In particular, he manages a billion-dollar investment fund intended primarily for the mining sector, which has enabled him to contribute to the financing of numerous mining projects in Quebec.

He was also responsible for the development of the main sectors of the Quebec economy, such as aerospace, health, information technology, transportation and aluminum. He has thus piloted several government strategies aimed at supporting the development of these sectors. Holder of a bachelor's degree in economics and a diploma in administration (second cycle) from Laval University, Mr. Bouchard has been a member of boards of directors including that of Investissement Québec and La Financière Agricole.