First Canadian Graphite Appoints Mining Veteran Michael Iverson to Board Amid Critical Minerals Push

First Canadian Graphite Inc. has appointed Michael Iverson to its Board of Directors, effective immediately, bringing extensive mining and capital markets experience to the junior mining company focused on advancing high-grade graphite projects in Quebec. Iverson's appointment comes as the company positions itself to meet increasing demand for onshore sourced critical minerals, particularly graphite used in battery and energy storage applications.

Iverson brings more than two decades of leadership experience in the resource sector, having founded Niogold Mining Corp. and co-founded Fortuna Silver Mines Inc., where he served in senior executive roles including Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President through 2016. His track record includes leading Niogold's acquisition and exploration of significant land in Val-d'Or, Québec, which positioned the company for its acquisition by Oban Mining Corp. at a substantial premium. At Fortuna, he played an integral role in the company's evolution into an established silver producer with operating mines in Peru and Mexico.

Throughout his career, Iverson has raised, invested, and co-invested more than $100 million in companies he has led and advised, with companies where he has served as CEO and/or director achieving aggregate market capitalizations exceeding $1 billion. He brings deep expertise in public and private equity markets, strategic planning, corporate governance, and sales and marketing to First Canadian Graphite.

John LaGourgue, CEO of First Canadian Graphite, stated that Iverson will work closely with management implementing best practices as the company expands the resource at its flagship Berkwood Graphite Project and assists the move toward becoming a leading graphite producer in North America. The company's focus on advancing its graphite projects aligns with increasing global demand for graphite as a critical material for energy storage and advanced technologies.

Iverson commented on the appointment, noting that the company is well positioned to expand the current resource through drilling and exploration, execute on a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA), and make required steps toward production. The company continues to focus on positioning itself to supply high-quality graphite to meet increasing demand from battery, energy storage, and advanced manufacturing markets.

Concurrent with Iverson's appointment, the company announced that Brijender (Binny) Jassal will resign from the board of directors but will continue as Chief Financial Officer. First Canadian Graphite respectfully acknowledges that the Berkwood Project is located within the traditional territory of the Pessamit Innu First Nation and is committed to fostering respectful, transparent, and collaborative relationships with local Indigenous communities throughout the development process.

The company's Management Discussion and Analysis for its recently completed fiscal period, which discusses additional risk factors, is available under the company's SEDAR profile at https://www.sedar.com. The appointment strengthens First Canadian Graphite's leadership as it advances projects critical to North America's supply chain for minerals essential to energy transition technologies.