HNB Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer Dilshan Rodrigo (second from left) and HNB Chief Transformation Officer/DGM L. Chiranthi Cooray (second from right) with HNB Head of Legal Shiromi Halloluwa and HNB Officer in Charge – Sustainable Business Shanel Perera

Continuing its trailblazing legacy at the Best Corporate Citizens Sustainability Awards (BCCSA) 2021, Sri Lanka’s leading private sector HNB PLC was presented with two awards in recognition of its outstanding CSR initiatives, which includes the bank being ranked among the Top 10 Best Corporate Citizens in Sri Lanka.

“Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, we put sustainability at the heart of our business practices, driving digital experiences exponentially and taking many innovative measures to reduce our carbon footprint. Working in alignment with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, we contributed towards the revival of businesses by supporting customers who were severely impacted. Our policies and commitment to these initiatives has ensured financial security and growth for MSMEs across the island. We are honoured by the accolades presented to HNB today and pledge to continue as a partner in progress for the nation,” HNB Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer Dilshan Rodrigo stated.

Notably, HNB was declared the winner of the recently introduced award for ‘Demonstrated Resilient Practices for COVID-19 Context’ by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) in acknowledgement of its efforts to keep staff and customers safe, support offered to customers in multiple forms of moratoriums and business revival efforts and other technological transformations.

CCC’s ranking of the 10 Best Corporate Citizens in Sri Lanka, is based on an evaluation of corporates that have enhanced the well-being of their communities in conjunction with achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Fostering a reputation for excellence, HNB has consistently ranked among the 10 Best Corporate Citizens in the past.

Moreover, CCC adopted an improved evaluation criteria this year to highlight the need to mainstream business emergency preparedness, resilience, and stakeholder management in businesses to meet unforeseen challenges. The focus area of the competition included environment, customer relations, community relations, governance, financial performance, economic contribution and special sustainable projects.

The Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards program has been in operation for 18 consecutive years and received 63 applications in 2021, the highest number of applications received in the history of the program.

Established in 1839, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce is the oldest and one of the leading business chambers in Sri Lanka. A confederation of Trade Associations, Bilateral Business Councils, and Regional and Sectoral Chambers of Commerce and Industry, it is considered the leading voice of the private sector in Sri Lanka.

With 254 customer centres across the country, HNB is one of Sri Lanka’s largest, most technologically innovative banks, having won local and global recognition for its efforts to drive forward a new paradigm in digital banking. HNB has a national rating of AA- (lka) by Fitch Ratings (Lanka) Ltd. The bank was also ranked among the World Top 1,000 Banks list compiled by the prestigious UK-based Banker Magazine for five consecutive years. HNB was also declared Best Sub-Custodian Bank in Sri Lanka at the Global Finance Awards 2020.

Chief Guest, Norwegian Ambassador Trine Jøranli Eskedal (centre) with HNB Executive Director/ Chief Operating Officer Dilshan Rodrigo (second from left) and HNB Chief Transformation Officer/ DGM L. Chiranthi Cooray (second from right) holding the certificate ranking HNB among the Top Ten Best Corporate Citizens in Sri Lanka in the presence of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman Vish Govindasamy (far left)

HNB Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer Dilshan Rodrigo (right) holding the Award for Demonstrated Resilient Practices for COVID-19 Context with (from left): BCCSA Chairman Panel of Evaluators and Judges Dr. Ananda Mallawatantri and Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman Vish Govindasamy