Siim Vanaselja To Retire As CFO Of BCE In Q2 2015, To Be Succeeded By Bell Aliant CFO Glen LeBlanc

BCE Inc. and Bell Aliant Inc. today announced that Siim Vanaselja, Chief Financial Officer of BCE and Bell Canada, will retire in the second quarter of 2015. Glen LeBlanc, currently CFO of BCE affiliate Bell Aliant, will become Chief Financial Officer of BCE and Bell Canada at that time. "Our succession plan for the CFO role leverages the exceptional executive talent at the BCE group of companies to ensure a smooth transition," said George Cope, President and CEO of BCE and Bell Canada. "Siim Vanaselja has been a key leader in BCE's transformation into a re-energized competitor in every sector of communications, building a robust capital markets strategy, guiding important strategic acquisitions, and delivering on our commitment to shareholder value through consistent dividend growth. Siim has worked closely for the last decade with his successor Glen LeBlanc, an accomplished CFO who has helped build our Halifax-based affiliate Bell Aliant into one of the best-run telcos in North America." Mr. Vanaselja will retire after BCE's 2015 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, scheduled for April 30, 2015, and before the end of Q2 2015. He will continue to serve on the Board of Directors of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE). "As CFO of Canada's largest communications company since 2001, Siim Vanaselja has successfully advanced the financial strength of the BCE group to the benefit of our customers, shareholders and team. In both challenging and prosperous economic times, Siim's integrity and expertise have earned him the deepest respect of the financial community, government leaders and his industry peers – and BCE's most sincere thanks for his many accomplishments," said Tom O'Neill, Chair of the Board of BCE and Bell Canada. "We look forward to working with Siim and Glen to ensure a smooth and straightforward transition of the CFO role next spring." Following the closing of BCE's privatization of Bell Aliant and until Mr. Vanaselja's retirement, Mr. LeBlanc will serve as Senior Vice President, Finance for BCE. As CFO of BCE, he will be located at the company's Montréal headquarters and will maintain an office at Bell Aliant's headquarters in Halifax.