In the annals of HSBC’s 131-year history in Sri Lanka, the last 12 months might warrant their own chapter.
Even before the political and economic crises of 2022, CEO Mark Surgenor and his Colombo-based team were committed to supporting the country in times of turmoil and foreign exchange dislocations. As the economy collapsed, HSBC found itself directly supporting the import of essential items from oil to medicines and milk powder.
The bank also intensified its work with partners to channel relief to vulnerable communities affected by Sri Lanka’s severe economic challenges.
But HSBC wins Asiamoney’s best international bank award not only for this but also because it kept its eye on the longer-term growth strategy.
Take the bank’s digitalization push. In 2022, it launched a message centre for wholesale banking clients to submit requests via the HSBCnet mobile app to digitize the full range of transactions.
HSBC is now a clear leader in the digital space with HSBCnet penetration at 96% for cash management transactions and 88% for global trade and receivables finance. In 2022, HSBC made further progress in improving the navigation of its internet platforms to offer greater convenience for Sri Lanka customers – both corporate and personal banking clients.
Surgenor’s