HSBC celebrates 125 years of banking in Sri Lanka

A commemorative plaque being unveiled at the HSBC Head Office in Fort by Matthew Lobner, Head of International and Head of Strategy and Planning, HSBC Asia Pacific together with Mark Prothero, CEO HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives and Sriyan Cooray, Chief Operating Officer HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives.

HSBC Sri Lanka celebrated a milestone 125 years of banking in the country on July 1, having commenced its operations in the country in 1892, just 27 years after its first offices were established in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
A special ceremony to mark the 125th anniversary was held on July 3 with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque at its heritage Head Office building in Fort by Matthew Lobner, Head of International and Head of Strategy and Planning, HSBC Asia Pacific and Mark Prothero, Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives together with senior management and employees of the bank.

HSBC’s main Head Office Building, built in 1922, remains a testament to HSBC’s 125-year presence in the country and commitment to Sri Lanka. Following a complete renovation project that lasted over two years, the building is the first of its age in the country to achieve a LEED GOLD rating for energy efficiency. 
Ninety eight percent of the structural elements of the building were retained, the carbon footprint was reduced by 20 percent, including a 40 percent water saving and 26 percent energy saving.  Furthermore, clients were invited to share in the celebrations at a special event held at the Galle Face Hotel on July 3rd. 
Speaking at the event, Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, Governor of Central Bank of Sri Lanka commented, “I wish to congratulate HSBC on the 125th anniversary of its contribution to Sri Lanka’s development. 
It is the largest foreign bank in the Island. HSBC has played a key role in bridging financial intermediation requirements of the economy. More importantly its global and regional expertise has been useful in communicating Sri Lanka’s potential to the investor communities, searching new markets for exports and introducing modern banking products for the local customers.” He further added, “The financial sector of the country has a key role to play when the economy is moving to a higher growth trajectory. 
I am confident that HSBC’s global footprint makes it well-placed to promote the financial sector innovation which is imperative in meeting the demands of a rapidly modernizing economy. I wish HSBC continued success in all its future endeavours.”
Mark Prothero, CEO of HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives stated, “For 125 years, HSBC has grown together with Sri Lanka and as Sri Lankan companies become globally successful, HSBC will continue to be a committed banking partner in serving our customers in and out of the country. We thank all our customers and our alumni who have supported us through this long journey.” 
HSBC has been a true advocate of supporting the community through its corporate sustainability initiatives and programmes in the country. The bank has joined together with many partners to empower and uplift local communities in the spheres of education, environment and cultural heritage in the country, and on its 125th year the bank will further extend its support with its latest pillar- Health. 
 Prothero revealed that “We are delighted to launch our latest pillar in corporate sustainability that places importance on Health and medical research mainly focusing on developing a safe drinking water supply system for disadvantaged communities in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) affected areas in the Anuradhapura district.”
He further commented, “We believe that a healthy population is key to the economic success of the country and HSBC will continue to support communities in tackling these critical health issues in future and help Sri Lanka achieve its ambitions in our 125th year in Sri Lanka.”