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From left: Head of Legal Shiromi Halloluwa, Officer in Charge – Sustainable Business Shanel Perera, Assistant Manager – Sustainable Business Hemantha Seneviratne, Deputy General Manager – Retail Banking Sanjay Wijemanne, Chief Transformation Officer Chiranthi Cooray, Managing Director/CEO Jonathan Alles, Chief Operating Officer Dilshan Rodrigo, Deputy General Manager – Risk/Chief Risk Officer/ Chief Information Security Officer Damith Pallewatte, Head of Marketing Chammika Weerasinghe, Senior Manager – Credit Risk Management Dilunika Jayasinghe and V. Disharatnam – Sustainability Unit of HNB
Sri Lanka’s most respected retail bank, HNB PLC continued to win prestigious acclaim for its efforts in driving a more sustainable banking and corporate culture, this year winning a total of seven awards at the recently concluded Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards 2019 (BCCSA).
Building on an outstanding reputation for corporate stewardship, this year the bank emerged as Second Runner Up in the event’s flagship category, the Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award, in addition to being ranked among Sri Lanka’s Top Ten Corporate Citizens for 2019.
The Bank was also declared winners in the Consistent Commitment and Continuous Improvement – Governance category, in addition to the Triple Bottom Line Award – Economic Sustainability (Profit) category.
HNB emerged as winners in the Employee Relations category Award in recognition of its pioneering human resources management, development and engagement strategies which are aimed at enhancing the capabilities of its entire workforce.
The bank’s outstanding efforts to drive progress in relation to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) through direct and indirect support channelled towards environmental conservation, renewable energy, water and waste management at a national scale helped HNB to secure the first place among its peers in the Best Projects Sustainability Award.
Additionally, the bank’s Thundola Conservation Project won HNB further recognition having been presented with the Merit Certificate in the Best Sustainability Projects category.
Elaborating on the strategies and policies that contributed towards the bank’s remarkable performance at this year’s awards, HNB Chief Transformation Officer Chiranthi Cooray reiterated the need for all Sri Lankan corporates to actively engage in sustainable practices.
“Social and environmental sustainability are no longer factors which can be added on to an existing business model. The businesses of tomorrow are those which embed sustainability and social responsibility today. In order to best align with this new reality, HNB has already undergone major transformations that prioritize triple bottom line growth and foster sustainable economic opportunities at every level of the national economy,” she stated.
Since establishment, HNB has been closely linked to the growth of Sri Lankan enterprises and by the 1980s, became the very first private sector commercial bank to enter the SME sector with the specific purpose of fostering growth and wealth creation in Sri Lanka’s vital rural economy.
Utilising its extensive network of Gami Pubuduwa officers stationed across Sri Lanka, HNB has successfully pioneered a vibrant model for microfinance that hinges on the cultivation of trusting and long-lasting relationships with grassroots entrepreneurs that extend beyond access to capital to also include vital advisory services and free training programmes designed to enhance financial literacy, strengthen enterprises, and facilitate export opportunities.
Today the bank’s sustainability strategy has become a central pillar in HNB’s wider vision for the Sri Lankan economy. Working to align with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the bank has implemented a spectrum of progressive policies promoting everything from diversity in the workplace to investments in renewable energy, environmental conservation, rural livelihood development and a range of innovative digital banking services aimed at empowering Sri Lankans from all walks of life.
This year, HNB was adjudged the Number One business entity among top Sri Lankan corporates by Business Today and has been receiving continuous praise for its pioneering initiatives across the entire spectrum of its operations. The bank was also judged ‘Best Managed Bank in Sri Lanka by the prestigious Asian Banker Magazine while the bank’s Managing Director/CEO, Jonathan Alles was conferred with Asian Banker’ CEO Leadership Achievement’ award.
Among its several accolades, HNB was also declared ‘Sri Lanka’s Best Bank’ for 2019 by Euromoney Magazine for the third time, in addition to being ranked among the World Top 1000 Banks list compiled by the prestigious UK-based, Banker magazine, further strengthening its status as Sri Lanka’s pre-eminent private sector bank.
Recently, HNB was also recognised among the ‘Top 10 Most Admired Companies in Sri Lanka’ by the International Chamber of Commerce, Sri Lanka and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). HNB’s remarkable track record of excellence secured it the first place ranking ahead of all Sri Lankan banks included in the LMD Top 100 Club – a position which was evaluated based on its performance over the past 25 years.
