Standard Chartered wins big at Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards 2019

CEO Bingumal Thewarathanthri (fourth from left), Executive Director and Head of Commercial Banking Tamani Dias (sixth from left), Head of HR Ransi Dharmasiriwardhana (third from left), Head of Internal Audit (first from left) Pirathapan Jeyabalasingam and the rest of the winners from the Standard Chartered Sri Lanka team

Standard Chartered Sri Lanka won the Awards for Women Empowerment and Best Sustainability Project and was also adjudged 1st Runner up (Category B) at the Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards 2019, hosted by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce in celebration of the commitment for sustainability by Sri Lankan corporates. The bank also won the Certificate of Merit for its ‘Financial Education’ project.

Speaking on the win, Chief Executive Officer Bingumal Thewarathanthri said: “In line with our purpose, we at Standard Chartered are committed to upholding our sustainability philosophy of promoting economic and social development in the communities we operate, and doing so sustainably and equitably. We are delighted to receive the recognition as the corporate that is most committed towards the empowerment of women and girls with our ‘Goal’ program, and for our financial education program for plantation workers, one of the most vulnerable communities in Sri Lanka.”

The big winner of the night for Standard Chartered was its ‘Goal’ program, which combines sports with life-skills training to empower and uplift adolescent girls from low-income urban families with the confidence, knowledge and skills they need to be integral economic leaders in their families and communities.

The ongoing ‘Financial Education’ project by Standard Chartered is a financial education and entrepreneurship program designed to build the capabilities of plantation women and youth to enhance their financial management and related skills, thereby enabling them to embark on entrepreneurial ventures and have greater control over household income and decision making.

Emphasising on the recognition received at the Awards this year, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing Sanjeewani De Silva said: “Here at Standard Chartered Sri Lanka, sustainability is integrated into the way we operate at every level. Youth empowerment is a crucial aspect of sustainability, and our global ‘Futuremakers’ initiative empowers the next generation to learn, earn and grow. We are truly humbled by the national recognition of our ‘Goal’ program that empowers young girls in urban areas, and the financial education program that gives underprivileged estate youth and women the skills and abilities to make it on their own.”

As a responsible corporate citizen Standard Chartered has believed in being a force for good. Playing its part in an evolving environment where the need for sustainability is now greater than ever, the bank is doing more every day to ensure it addresses more problems and enables more people to make a better future for themselves.