Canadian National Names Sean Finn Senior Vice-President and Chief Legal Officer.

Business Editors

MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 31, 2000

(NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR.)

Canadian National President and Chief Executive Officer Paul M. Tellier today announced the appointment of Sean Finn as CN's senior vice-president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary.

Finn, 42, succeeds Jean Pierre Ouellet, who is becoming RBC Dominion Securities Inc.'s vice-chairman in charge of corporate and investment banking activities in Quebec.

Finn was most recently CN's vice-president, treasurer and principal tax counsel.

Tellier said: "Sean is an experienced tax practitioner and has developed strong business experience at CN. He played key roles in CN's highly-successful 1995 privatization and equally successful acquisition of Illinois Central Corporation in 1998. In his new position, Sean assumes responsibility for an array of legal and regulatory matters. CN is fortunate to have within its ranks such an able individual to fill the role of chief legal officer."

Finn joined CN in January 1994. He was appointed treasurer and principal tax counsel in August 1996 and became vice-president, treasurer and principal tax counsel in January 2000. He was responsible for CN's treasury and finance activities and managed all CN tax matters.

This month Finn was named Tax Lawyer of the Year 2000 by his peers and was paid tribute by Le Monde Juridique, Quebec's private law practice magazine. He is a member of the Quebec bar and Canadian and American bar associations.

Tellier, commenting on Ouellet's departure from CN, said: "Jean Pierre's legal counsel was always penetrating, and his guidance invaluable in furthering CN's North American expansion strategy. All of us at CN wish him well in his new endeavor."

CN spans Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the key cities of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, St. Louis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America.