HNB PLC consolidated its reputation as the most innovative bank in Sri Lanka, by being awarded as the Best Retail Bank and Best Micro Finance Bank at International Finance Awards 2018.

Organised by the International Finance Magazine as a global platform for the recognition of leadership and value-generating capacity. Winners of the IFM Awards are selected following careful evaluation of submissions from across the world with qualified research being conducted on all nominees by dedicated teams prior to selection of winners based on the strength of their application and past accomplishments.

“OnbehalfofourentireteamatHNB,Iwishtoconveyhowdeeplyhonoredallofushavebeen to receive the awards for Best Retail Bank and Best Micro Finance Bank. The IFM Awards are globallyrenownedasashowcaseforindustrybestpractices,innovation.

“These awards help to highlight which direction the entire global banking industry is moving towards, and it is therefore gratifying that we have not only maintained, but improved our performance from last year. We believe this is further vindication of the remarkable transformationtakingplaceatHNB,andthecatalyticrolewewillplayinthecomingchapters of Sri Lanka’s growth story,” HNB Managing Director/CEO, Jonathan Allessaid.

The bank remains a dominant leader in the retail sector, maintaining strong and consistent growth in profits, while relentlessly pursuing operational excellence through constant refinementofitsprocesses,physicalanddigitalinfrastructure,togetherwithcustomerfacing

innovations designed to provide the most convenient, reliable digitally integrated banking experience for all HNB customers.

Over the past year, the bank has been deepening its engagement across its full spectrum of bankingservices,resultingina30.7Year-on-Year(YoY)expansioninProfitBeforeTaxtoRs.

14.1 billion in just the first six months of 2018 alone.

“Customer centricity is at the core of our success, and what enables HNB to advance its leadership position in the retail sector. By focusing on operational excellence and product innovation with an emphasis on easily accessible digital services, HNB is working to  catalyse anewparadigminbanking.Inthatregard,weexpressourheartfeltgratitudetoourcustomers who are partners in our success, and to our dedicated team whose efforts fuel our organisation to greater heights,” HNB Deputy General Manager – Retail Banking, Sanjay Wijemannesaid.

HNB has long maintained a thriving presence in the microfinance sector. As the very first Sri Lankan bank to enter the market with a branded product exclusively for the microfinance sectorwithHNBGamiPubuduwain1989,thebankhasutilizeditsinvaluableexperienceasa true pioneer in the field to extend vital financial services to underserved communities across the island, while tailoring its approach to suite the unique conditions prevalent in the Sri Lankanmarket.

“A substantial proportion of Sri Lanka’s economy is built on the efforts of microfinance entrepreneurs and SMEs and we remain confident in the ability of this sector to serve as an engine of unprecedented growth, provided they are facilitated with the necessary access to finance, knowledge, skills and other advisory services for such businesses to thrive. HNB’s approach prioritizes the early identification of promising businesses with a view to forming lasting partnerships capable of unleashing and sustaining growth at every stage of the business.

“This award therefore stands as further vindication of HNB’s tried and tested approach to microfinance and we wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated team of employees and field officers who have been at the heart of our success,” HNB SME and Midmarket Deputy General Manager Jude Fernando stated.

The two IFM Awards are also the most recent in a long series of accolades presented to HNB overtherecentpast.Sofarin2018,HNBwasrecognisedbythe prestigiousBankerMagazine as one of the Top 1000 banks in the world and is also the highest ranked local bank in this listing. HNB has already been adjudged Best Retail Bank 2018 by The Asian Banker Magazine inadditiontobeingdeclaredBestSMEBank,BestDigitalBankandtheBestCashManagement BankinSriLankaattheAsiamoneyAwards2018.Notably,overthepastweekHNBwasnamed by Euromoney as the Best Corporate Cash Management Bank in Sri Lanka for 2018 and was ranked among the Most Admired Companies in Sri Lanka by the International Chamber of Commerce and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants(CIMA)