Rio Tinto Leaders Join Talon Metals Team as the Tamarack Nickel Project Becomes Critical to a Domestic EV Battery Supply Chain

Road Town, July 22, 2021 - Talon Metals Corp. (TSX: TLO) ("Talon" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that three experienced Rio Tinto members will join the Talon team, as the Tamarack Nickel Project in Minnesota, USA progresses towards production and grows in strategic importance for a domestic electric vehicle (EV) supply chain.

The three individuals and their roles are as follows:

Todd Malan, Chief External Affairs Officer and Head of Climate Strategy: Todd Malan will join the executive team at Talon and become a senior officer of the Company. Previously, Todd was Vice President for Corporate Relations - Canada & Americas for Rio Tinto, based in Washington DC. During his time in that role, he had regional responsibility for government relations and media and led the corporate relations function for the Rio Tinto Aluminum business globally. Todd will have accountability for government relations, media communications and will spearhead the Company's numerous climate focused initiatives. Todd will continue to be based in Washington DC and will establish Talon's presence in the US capitol. He joins the Company in September 2021.

Brian Goldner, Vice President of Exploration: Brian Goldner (who was previously seconded to Talon from Rio Tinto) has assumed the permanent role of Vice President of Exploration for Talon's Tamarack Nickel Project. Brian brings 15 years of geology and exploration experience with Rio Tinto, of which the vast majority has been spent directly on the Tamarack Nickel Project. Brian has been seconded to Talon since 2018 and during that time help lead the successful drilling programs, which discovered the CGO East and CGO West massive sulphides (i.e., nickel-coper mineralization outside of the resource area). Brian also brings a substantial amount of operational experience to the team and will continue to be based at Tamarack in Minnesota. Brian has degrees in Geology and Geography from Gustavus Adolphus College and completed his master's thesis on the Tamarack Nickel Project at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.

Dean Rossell, Chief Geologist: Dean Rossell will join the Company after formally retiring from a 30 year career at Rio Tinto. Dean is widely regarded as one of the top nickel geology experts globally. Dean is known for having discovered the only two high-grade nickel deposits in the United States, namely the Eagle Mine in Michigan and the Tamarack Nickel Project in Minnesota. Dean will work closely with the Talon team to progress the Tamarack Nickel Project to produce a domestic source of nickel for the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain, improve Talon's pipeline of mineral resources and contribute to Talon's carbon sequestration efforts.

"We are thrilled to have three seasoned Rio Tinto members join the Talon team," said Henri van Rooyen, CEO of Talon. "Brian and Dean have a long history with the Tamarack Nickel Project and it will be great to have them formally join the Talon team as executives. Todd Malan's move to Talon reflects that we are entering a new phase in our journey to become a leading contributor to the United States electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain. With his broad external experience at Rio Tinto and Goldman Sachs, I am excited that Todd will join our senior leadership team to advance the project through permitting to production. His experience in permitting mining projects, partnering with communities, engaging with government and media will be a game changer for Talon and the Tamarack Nickel Project."

"The Tamarack Nickel Project is a gem among the critical mineral projects in North America," said Todd Malan. "I have long admired the Talon team and enjoyed my visits to Minnesota over the years to see its progress. I am very excited to join the Talon team and help to move the project forward to production."

Malan continued: "Nickel is an essential material in the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain. If the USA wants to lead the world in technology to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles and decarbonization, then we must have a secure domestic source of nickel produced under our high environmental rules."

ABOUT TALON

Talon is a TSX-listed base metals company in a joint venture with Rio Tinto on the high-grade Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project located in Minnesota, USA, comprised of the Tamarack North Project and the Tamarack South Project. Talon has an earn-in to acquire up to 60% of the Tamarack Project. The Tamarack Project comprises a large land position (18km of strike length) with numerous high-grade intercepts outside the current resource area. Talon is focused on expanding its current high-grade nickel mineralization resource prepared in accordance with NI 43-101; identifying additional high-grade nickel mineralization; and developing a process to potentially produce nickel sulphates responsibly for batteries for the electric vehicles industry. Talon has a well-qualified exploration and mine management team with extensive experience in project management.

For additional information on Talon, please visit the Company's website at www.talonmetals.com or contact:

Sean Werger
President
Talon Metals Corp.
Tel: (416) 361-9636 x102
Email: werger@talonmetals.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements". All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to taking the Tamarack Nickel Project into production, the strategic importance of the Tamarack Nickel Project for a domestic electric vehicle (EV) supply chain and the Company's climate focused initiatives. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company.

Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/90914