HNB Assurance recently celebrated the successful completion of its ‘Certified Sales Manager Programme,’ conducted in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing, marking a key milestone in the professional development of its sales leadership team.
Designed specifically for the Partnership Channel, the programme is a first-of-its-kind initiative within Sri Lanka’s insurance industry, formally certifying Sales Managers through a structured framework focused on strengthening leadership, strategic thinking, and advanced sales capabilities.
This initiative underscores HNB Assurance’s continued commitment to investing in its people by equipping them with globally recognised knowledge and professional credentials that support both individual growth and organisational excellence.
Commenting on the achievement, Chief Business Officer/GM – Partnerships Sanesh Fernando congratulated the graduating Sales Managers, highlighting their critical role in driving the company’s growth. He noted that the Partnership Channel has emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments within the organisation, recording an impressive 58% growth over the past year.
Meanwhile, Head of Human Resources Navin Rupasinghe emphasised the company’s belief that its people are the driving force behind its success. He added that structured learning and certification programmes such as this empower leaders with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to navigate an evolving industry landscape while continuing to deliver exceptional value to customers.
ComBank Reinforces Leadership with Top Honours at LankaPay Technnovation Awards
The Commercial Bank of Ceylon has reinforced its leadership in digital payments and financial technology innovation with a haul of six awards, comprising four Golds, a Silver and a Merit, at the LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2026.
The Bank’s standout achievement at this year’s awards was securing the coveted overall Gold Award for ‘Excellence in Digital Payments (Banks)’ for the second consecutive year.
This the highest recognition presented by LankaPay (Pvt) Ltd., Sri Lanka’s National Payment Network, to the most outstanding financial institution in digital payment processing. In addition to this top honour, Commercial Bank also won Gold awards for ‘Financial Institution of the Year for Best Digital Payment Strategy,’ ‘Most Innovative Financial Institution of the Year’ – its fourth consecutive win in this category – and ‘Best Institution for Excellence in Customer Convenience (Banks) Category A.’
The Bank received the Silver award for ‘Best LankaPay Card Enabler of the Year,’ and a Merit award for ‘Best Institution for Financial Inclusivity (Banks) Category A.’
Commercial Bank Managing Director/CEO Sanath Manatunge said: “As our ambitious digital transformation programme takes flight, this is just the beginning. Beyond the top prize, we are proud to have secured key Gold awards within category A. This historic achievement belongs to our incredible team and loyal customers, and we appreciate their unwavering support.”
These Technnovation awards recognise Commercial Bank’s strong performance in 2025, particularly in transaction volume growth across key national payment platforms including CEFTS, SLIPS and other digital channels, as well as its sustained efforts to expand access, enhance convenience and drive adoption of secure electronic payments. Commercial Bank’s recognition at the 2026 awards also reflects a year of significant innovation and firsts that have helped redefine the country’s digital banking landscape. Among these were the launch of Sri Lanka’s first implementation of Google Pay, the introduction of the country’s first AI-driven SME credit underwriting model and the rollout of an agency banking model through ‘ComBank Shakthi’ to extend financial services to underserved communities.
HNB Assurance Marks Completion of ‘Certified Sales Manager Programme’ in Collaboration with SLIM
