NDB bags Gold at CFA Sri Lanka Capital Market Awards 2016

From left: Nations Trust Bank Director Rachini Rajapaksa, CFA Sri Lanka President Sanjay Kulatunga, NDB Deputy Manager Finance and Planning Kumudari Peiris, NDB CEO Rajendra Theagarajah, NDB Assistant Vice President Finance and Planning Suvendrini Muthukumarana and CFA Institute Managing Director Asia Pacific Nick Pollard 

NDB was crowned the gold awardee for best investor relations at the CFA Sri Lanka Capital Market Awards 2016 which was held on 26 July at the Oak Room Cinnamon Grand. 

NDB having won the silver award in 2015 and the bronze award in 2014 for best investor relations is humbly proud of this achievement and believes that it stands as a strong testament of the bank’s continued efforts to bring in value to the financial industry. NDB Securities Ltd., the stock broking arm of NDB emerged as the gold awardee for the best stockbroking research team. 

Commenting on this feat, NDB Group Chief Financial Officer Faizan Ozman said that the prime objective of the bank’s investor relations is to adopt best in class practices led on the principles of transparency, consistency and fairness, which will contribute towards a conducive capital market in the country. The Assistant Vice President Finance and Planning Suvendrini Muthukumarana mentioned that the award is a clear affirmation of the gradual improvement the Bank has made over the years to become the best in the Sri Lankan capital market in investor relations. She also mentioned that the bank places significant focus and effort in this area under the guidance and the leadership of CEO Rajendra Theagarajah and the GCFO. NDB’s investor relations have undergone considerable streamlining and upgrades in terms of internal processes and also engagement with external stakeholders over recent years, and the investor relations team is continuously reviewing them for further improvements she said. 

Shortlisted companies from the listed entities in the Colombo Stock Exchange were evaluated along the criteria of accessibility to management, fairness, quality and transparency of disclosures and consistency of the investor relations function in all conditions. 

The globally recognised Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA) is an organisation established to promote the development and dissemination of relevant research for investment practitioners worldwide.  The objectives of the investor relations award of the Capital Market Awards by the CFA Society Sri Lanka were to recognise and acknowledge companies that undertake investor relations function to communicate interactively with the investor community, to increase awareness of the importance of investor relations for markets to function efficiently and to encourage best practices in investor relations.

The CFA capital market awards is broadly hailed by capital markets, aimed at identifying firms and practitioners that have added value towards the accomplishment of specialised standards of practice in capital markets. 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore Ambassador at Large Ambassador Kausikan was the keynote speaker at the event whilst CFA Sri Lanka President Sanjay Kulatunga, CFA Asia Pacific, Managing Director Nick Pollard and Nations Trust Bank PLC Director Rachini Rajapaksa were among the officials present at the event.