Toronto, Ontario, 17 June 2009– Maple Trade Finance Inc. of Halifax has expanded its sales with the appointment of a National Sales Manager and a new additional Regional Director serving the Greater Toronto Area.

Martin Rees has joined Maple Trade Finance Inc. as National Sales Manager. Mr. Rees comes to the rapidly growing Halifax based international financial services company after a highly successful 20 year, career in the banking and financial services sector, in Canada and the United Kingdom. The announcement was made today by Carole-Ann Miller, President of Maple Trade Finance Inc., a Halifax-based company with offices from coast-to-coast in Canada.

"Maple Trade Finance is a dynamic, growing company that has benefited from innovative, entrepreneurial leadership", said Mr. Rees. "I was attracted to Maple Trade Finance because I was very impressed with the coast to coast sales team, already in place. I look forward to joining this team, and to working with the company leaders to continue the spectacular growth that Maple Trade has experienced." Mr. Rees will be based in Maple Trade’s Toronto office.

Also joining Maple Trade will be Jennifer McMullan who has been appointed Regional Director in the GTA. She becomes MTF’s second Regional Director in this region joining Dhruv Lal, who has been working in the market. This position has been added owing to the growth in market demand in the GTA.

Established in 2001, Maple Trade Finance became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Maple Financial Group of Toronto two years later. The company provides innovative financial services to Canadian manufacturers and exporters.

"Our company has achieved remarkable sales growth primarily because of our innovative product offerings,” said Carole-Ann Miller, President of Maple Trade Finance. "Indeed, it is because we wish to take advantage of new opportunities that we have expanded our national sales team and recruited an experienced national sales manager, and GTA Regional Director. The addition of the national sales manager position will allow the executive team the freedom to pursue some of these exciting new opportunities."

Martin joins Maple Trade from his position of CEO of a well established Canadian financial services company. Initially trained as a member of the British Institute of Bankers, Mr. Rees attained management positions in both retail and commercial banking at a young age.

As National Sales Manager of Maple Trade Finance, it will be Mr. Rees’ responsibility to coordinate and lead our coast-to-coast sales team.

Ms. McMullan joins Maple Trade after over a decade in the financial services sector with major banks and financial institutions, including working in the GTA with the Export Development Canada, with whom Maple Trade has had a close working relationship. Ms. McMullan holds a commerce degree from Carleton University.

Maple Trade Finance is a unique company driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and a recognition and appreciation of the value of cultural diversity. It is an innovative financial institution, in many ways, not just in its recognition of the value of a diverse workforce. The company has taken the best of the conventional banking industry, combined it with the flexibility of traditional factoring companies and created a fresh new approach to funding Canadian companies.