At the recently concluded National Business Excellence Awards organised by the National Chamber of Commerce, CDB was lauded with a Gold award in the non-banking financial services sector, while also showcasing its uncompromising stance on conformance to governance tenets with an overall merit award in excellence for corporate governance. Competing in the extra large category which places CDB among industry giants, these two awards both signify that the Company has affirmed its status as an undisputed leader in the country’s NBFI sector.
Undoubtedly improving on its silver award won last year in the NBFI sector, Managing Director/CEO Mahesh Nanayakkara opines that in the 21 years of its existence, CDB has built a solid foundation of excellence, building a unique brand of resilience and fortitude to ensure consistent results that are now entrenched in these awards. “We have continued to post consistent results that embed our strength not only within our financial platform, but also reflective of our primary philosophy of financial inclusivity through social empowerment. This award signifies the stability, strength and sustainability that’s now very much a part of the CDB fabric. It also underlines that the way we conduct our business stimulates social empowerment in how we strengthen the bottom of the pyramid to build a sustainable economically empowered cohort of citizens, who will contribute productively to the national development agenda.”
As Nanayakkara pointed out, “CDB is undoubtedly the best example of a turnaround company, in that, by using astute vision, strategic initiatives and unbridled resourcefulness, transformed itself from a negative net worth company in 2001, to one which has crossed the Rs 1 Bn milestone in profitability among other landmarks. Our reputation has been built on being a respected, responsible public deposit taking corporate steward and it is inbuilt into our mindset that we must continuously forge a sustainable triple bottom line. Hence, our profitability, assets and shareholder funds continue on a strong growth trajectory, well supported by our strategic network of 69 outlets and a highly advanced technologically driven touch-point platform that has given us a competitive advantage for our stakeholder engagement processes.”  
Being an organisation that believes in imbuing the rudiments of consistency into its overall sustainability ethos, Nanayakkara mentions that it is stakeholder value that must be optimized, “because at CDB, it is stakeholders that form the foundation for our success,” he says.  “By 2020, we intend to reach a balance sheet of Rs 100 billion, while etching more milestones into our legacy and empowering our nation through financial inclusivity initiatives, social empowerment and the unrelenting need to trailblaze and innovate.  We will aggressively pursue our strategic priorities, fostering entrepreneurial innovation, pioneering pathways and ensuring responsible corporate stewardship to be a mentor to the NBFI sector in Sri Lanka.”