Sunday Times 2
ComBank and its CEO clinch top honours as ‘Sri Lanka’s Best’ from The Asian Banker
View(s):Commercial Bank and its Managing Director/CEO Sanath Manatunge have been named the ‘Best Managed Bank’ and the ‘Best Bank CEO’ in Sri Lanka respectively by The Asian Banker (TAB) magazine, bestowing on them two prestigious accolades that are presented once in every three years.
These awards, in respect of the 2022-2024 period, were presented at the TAB Global Leadership Achievement Awards ceremony and gala dinner in Jakarta, Indonesia, in conjunction with the 2025 edition of The Asian Banker Summit, the largest annual gathering of professionals in the financial services industry in the Asia Pacific region.
The Best Bank CEO award recognises the visionary leadership of Mr Manatunge during a period of volatility, in which the Commercial Bank navigated significant macroeconomic challenges while reinforcing its position as the strongest, most stable financial institution in Sri Lanka.
“Throughout 2022-2024, Mr Sanath Manatunge demonstrated unparalleled courage and passion in leading the Bank through unprecedented economic, financial, and operational challenges. His bold strategic decisions, commitment to digital innovation, customer-centric approach, and sustainability solidified Commercial Bank’s status as the strongest and most resilient financial institution in Sri Lanka,” the Bank said.
Among the highlights of the period assessed for these awards were capital infusions of Rs 22.54 billion and Rs 20 billion raised through a rights issue and a debenture issue respectively to enhance capital adequacy and financial stability; being ranked the country’s largest lender to the SME sector for the fourth consecutive year; the launch of a comprehensive SME business ecosystem named Commercial Bank LEAP GlobalLinker to strengthen supply chain connectivity and market access; the launch of Host-to-Host (H2H) payment services under ComBank Digital Enterprise Solutions; the ComBank Digital platform surpassing 1.5 million users and processing transactions exceeding Rs 4 Trillion in a year; and the completion of the planting of 100,000 trees annually.