TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - April 6, 2016) - Argonaut Gold Inc. (TSX:AR) (the "Company", "Argonaut Gold" or "Argonaut") is pleased to announce the appointment of Audra B. Walsh to the Board of Directors effective immediately, and the nomination of Ian Atkinson to its Board of Directors at the upcoming Annual General and Special Meeting on May 3, 2016 subject to TSX review. Additionally, the Company announces the hiring of Daniel A. Symons as Vice President, Investor Relations.

Ms. Walsh is a Professional Engineer with over 20 years of technical, operating, management and board experience in the mining industry. She currently serves as CEO of Minas de Aguas Tenidas S.A.U (MATSA), a Trafigura Mubadala mining company, located in the Huelva Province, Spain. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Orvana Minerals Corp. and is Chair of its Technical, Safety, Health, Environment and Sustainability Committee. She serves as President and CEO of A2Z Mining Inc. and was formerly President and CEO of Sierra Metals Inc. and Minera S.A. Ms. Walsh has also held senior positions with Barrick Gold Corporation and Newmont Mining Corporation. Ms. Walsh is a graduate with a Bachelor's of Science (Mine Engineering) from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, South Dakota and is a registered member of the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration.

Ian Atkinson is a Professional Geologist who currently serves as Director of Kinross Gold Corporation and Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. Mr. Atkinson was previously Director, President and CEO of Centerra Gold Inc. He has more than 40 years of experience in the mining industry with extensive background in exploration, project development, operations, and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to his ten-year tenure at Centerra, Mr. Atkinson held various senior positions with Hecla Mining Company, Battle Mountain Gold Inc., Hemlo Gold Mines Inc. and Noranda Inc. During his career Mr. Atkinson has contributed to the discovery of several major mineral deposits and been involved in a number of large global mining projects. Mr. Atkinson holds a Bachelor of Science (Geology) from King's College, University of London and a Master's Degree in Geophysics from the Royal School of Mines, University of London.

David H. Watkins, who was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2012, is retiring and will not be standing for re-election at the Company's upcoming Annual General and Special Meeting of shareholders.

Chairman of the Board, Mr. Jim Kofman, commented: "The Company is very excited to have Ms. Walsh and Mr. Atkinson join its Board of Directors. Their wealth of experience will be a tremendous asset to all Argonaut stakeholders as we continue our goal of transforming the Company into a mid-tier producer. On behalf of the entire Board, I want to thank Dave Watkins for his contributions to Prodigy Gold and to Argonaut Gold. His insights have helped the Company in advancing the Magino project which is an exciting part of the Company's future."

The Company is also pleased to announce the appointment of Daniel A. Symons to its management team as Vice President, Investor Relations.

Mr. Symons previously held the position of Vice President, Business Development & Investor Relations with Romarco Minerals Inc. In this role, Mr. Symons was a key member of the Romarco management team. Prior to Romarco, Mr. Symons was an Account Manager with Renmark Financial Communications, a leading North American IR firm. Mr. Symons has nearly a decade of experience in planning and directing all aspects of investor relations' policies, objectives and initiatives. Mr. Symons holds an Honours B.A. from Concordia University in Montreal and is an active member of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute.

Mr. Pete Dougherty, President and CEO stated: "We are delighted to have a person of Dan's caliber join our management team. His broad experience with investor relations, and his knowledge of the capital markets as well as his existing industry relationships will strengthen and expand Argonaut's exposure within the financial community."

About Argonaut Gold

Argonaut Gold is a Canadian gold company engaged in exploration, mine development and production activities. Its primary assets are the production stage El Castillo mine in Durango, Mexico, and La Colorada mine in Sonora, Mexico. Advanced exploration stage projects include the San Antonio project in Baja California Sur, Mexico, the Magino project in Ontario, Canada and the San Agustin project in Durango, Mexico. The Company also has several exploration stage projects, all of which are located in North America.