A quarter-century of excellence: HNB crowned No.1 bank in LMD’s Club 100

Recognising a legacy of consistent product innovation, service excellence and banking beyond transactions, HNB PLC has been ranked as the first among all Sri Lankan banks, over the last 25 years and been a part of the elite list of companies that comprise the LMD Top 100 Club. Incidentally, ‘The Banker’ magazine has recognised HNB as among the top 1000 global banks for this year.

Consistently featuring on what is in essence Sri Lanka’s version of the Fortune 500, HNB’s most recent ranking cements its position at the pinnacle of Sri Lanka’s banking industry; According to HNB’s Chief Executive and Managing Director Jonathan Alles, the bank’s biggest opportunities for growth are still around the corner. 

While HNB has always been visibly at the forefront of the Sri Lankan banking industry, it’s recent dominant spell as an undisputed leader was spurred by an ambitious and far-reaching transformational journey, spearheaded by Alles and which started last year. 

“For over 130 years, HNB has stood as a pillar of stability and innovation in the domestic economy, empowering entrepreneurship, facilitating commerce, and supporting the aspirations of Sri Lankans across generations. While the next decade of growth for our bank will be enhanced by this rich legacy, it will ultimately be driven and shaped by digital channels. 

“That is why our primary goal moving forward is to ensure that HNB remains Sri Lanka’s most future-ready bank. While we commend the outstanding efforts of the entire HNB team, we will also ensure that we do not rest at being the best in Sri Lanka, but also set the pace for the entire region over the next decade,” stated Alles. 

Recognising that the world is changing rapidly and the kind of knowledge, skills, and abilities which worked well for previous generations may no longer have the same potential, being best just in our market will no longer be sufficient and competing as a regional powerhouse would naturally be the next step, noted Alles . 

A common thread that runs through the leadership and vision of HNB has been their emphasis on aggressively adapting technology to service customer requirements. Part of the challenge in this endeavour is the incorporation of digital banking channels in order to provide customers with products and services which they themselves may not have envisioned at first, but which are quickly becoming the gold standard regionally and increasingly locally as well. 

“It is this amalgamation of the traditional banking with new digital channels that will hold the key to success for HNB and the entire banking industry. We have introduced many first-to-market products and services, understanding the changing needs and lifestyles of our customers. Today, we provide an omni-channel experience with a multitude of digital channels, offering choice and convenience. The next two years in particular will see major efforts on these fronts to ensure that the bank continues to reach for greater heights, while supporting the economic aspirations of our nation and its citizens,” Alles asserted. 

The ranking is the latest in a string of accolades bestowed to HNB for its transformational approach to banking. HNB was declared the Best Bank in Sri Lanka for 2019 for the third time by Euromoney Magazine, even as The Asian Banker Magazine bestowed the rare triennial honour of recognising HNB as the Best Managed Bank this year. 

The Asian Banker Magazine also conferred HNB Managing Director/CEO Jonathan Alles the CEO Leadership Achievement Award in recognition of the numerous accomplishments and milestones achieved by HNB in line with its ambitious 2020 Vision. HNB was also recognised as the highest-ranked bank in the country by Business Today in 2018.

Operating across 250 customer centres across the country, HNB stands as Sri Lanka’s leading bank, having been recognized by several renowned international and local institutions for excellence in diverse fields. In 2018 HNB was recognized by the prestigious ‘Asian Banker Magazine’ as the ‘Best Retail Bank in Sri Lanka’ for the 10th time. Rated AA- (lka) by Fitch Ratings Lanka Ltd., HNB remains the most profitable private sector banking and financial services group in Sri Lanka.