HNB’s Centralized Credit Operations and Credit Administration Departments set global standards with ISO 9001 certification

(From left) HNB Head of Process Excellence (Services) Christopher Thuraisingham, HNB Head of Centralized Credit Administration Angelina Dharmaraj, HNB Chief Recovery and Rehabilitation Officer Nirosh Perera, HNB Chief Credit Officer Dilunika Jayasinghe, HNB Head of Centralized Credit Operations Rukshan Senaratne, and Executive – Credit Administration Department HNB, Christeen Fernando.

Sri Lanka’s leading private sector bank, HNB PLC, proudly announces the successful attainment of ISO 9001:2015 certification for its Centralized Credit Operations and Credit Administration Departments, reinforcing its dedication to service excellence and quality management.

The internationally recognized ISO 9001:2015 certification, awarded by Bureau Veritas and facilitated by Halcyon (Pvt) Ltd, underscores HNB’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of quality and operational excellence. The comprehensive certification process, which commenced in October 2023 and concluded with a final audit on 30 May 2024, involved rigorous reviews and documentation of processes to ensure full alignment with ISO standards.

“Achieving ISO 9001:2015 certification underscores our commitment to excellence in credit operations and administration. This certification will enhance our ability to streamline processes, and ensure the highest standards of service for our clients. Moreover, it standardizes and aligns our retail processes, ensuring consistency and reliability across all branches,” said HNB Chief Credit Officer, Dilunika Jayasinghe.

The certification of these key departments showcases HNB’s strategic focus on enhancing customer satisfaction through robust quality management systems. The Departments’ dedication to continuous improvement and back-office automation, including the implementation of robotic process automation, workflows, and automated workflows, has been instrumental in this success.

The “ISO 9001:2015 certification is a testament to our unwavering focus on quality and continuous improvement in credit administration. It will help us maintain robust documentation and credit operations, enhanced compliance with regulatory requirements, and deliver superior administrative support to all our stakeholders,” said HNB Head of Centralized Credit Administration, Angelina Dharmaraj.

The Centralized Credit Operations Department, responsible for processing a wide array of personal finance facilities including personal loans, credit cards, housing loans, educational loans, vehicle loans, leasing, and staff credit card enhancements, and the Credit Administration Department, which handles the preparation of security documents and credit operations for all credit facilities in the bank, together comprise approximately 260 skilled professionals.

“This certification reflects our dedication to implementing efficient, standardized processes across all centralized credit operations. It enables us to improve operational efficiency, reduce turnaround times, and provide more consistent service. Further, it ensures that our retail processes are standardized and aligned, enhancing overall service quality,” HNB Head of Centralized Credit Operations, Rukshan Senaratne added.

HNB’s strategic communications continue to amplify the Bank’s commitment to integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into its strategy, processes, and decision-making. This latest achievement aligns with HNB’s vision of being Sri Lanka’s corporate inspiration at all times, further solidifying its position as a leader in the financial services industry.

With 254 customer centres, HNB is one of Sri Lanka’s largest, most technologically innovative private banks. Consolidating its legacy in sustainability, good governance, and corporate excellence, HNB was crowned the Best Corporate Citizen for 2022 at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Best Corporate Citizen Awards. Other significant accolades include being adjudged as the “Best Retail Bank in Sri Lanka” for the 14th occasion by the Asian Banker in 2024, being declared the “Best SME Bank” by Asiamoney Magazine, being awarded the Sri Lanka Technology Excellence Award for Robotics – Banking at the Asian Technology Excellence Awards 2023, for integration of Robotic Process Automation in its Custody Banking and Trustee Services, as well as securing a Top 5 position in Business Today’s Top 40 rankings for 2023.