National Development Bank PLC (NDB) has been recognised as a Best Women-Friendly Workplace at the prestigious Great HR Awards 2025, an accolade awarded by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) Sri Lanka in collaboration with Mercer, a global leader in HR consulting. This honour stands as a powerful testament to NDB’s long-standing commitment to creating a workplace where women are not only empowered, but celebrated, supported, and positioned to thrive across all levels of the organisation.
The Great HR Awards, introduced this year as a benchmark of excellence, recognise organisations that demonstrate the highest standards in people practices, culture transformation, and inclusive leadership. Winning an accolade in this inaugural and highly competitive platform underscores the strength, maturity, and authenticity of NDB’s Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) agenda.
For NDB, gender inclusivity is a strategic priority woven into the Bank’s culture, leadership development, and employee experience. The recognition as a Best Women-Friendly Workplace reflects the depth of NDB’s efforts to build an environment where women feel safe, respected, equipped, and inspired to grow.
This commitment is further strengthened through NDB’s EDGE Certification, a globally recognised benchmark for gender equity that evaluates organisations across gender representation, equitable policies, and inclusive practices embedded into everyday operations. NDB is proud to be the only local organisation to have achieved this international validation for 3 consecutive times, underscoring that its gender inclusion efforts are not aspirational, but systematically measured, independently verified, and sustainably embedded into the Bank’s people strategy.
NDB’s approach to diversity is anchored in equal opportunity, representation, and empowerment. The Bank has consistently invested in programmes and policies that enable women to excel, whether through leadership pipelines, flexible working arrangements, specialised training, mentoring, or initiatives that support work-life balance. NDB continues to champion the principles of meritocracy and fairness, ensuring that every employee, irrespective of gender, can access opportunities to learn, innovate, and progress.
Beyond internal development, NDB’s commitment to women extends to the communities it serves. Through initiatives such as Vanithabhimana, Sri Lanka’s largest national platform celebrating the contributions of women, and through continuous financial literacy and entrepreneurship programmes targeted at women-led SMEs, NDB plays an active role in advancing the economic participation of women across the country. These initiatives further reinforce the Bank’s belief that empowering women is essential not only for organisational success, but for national development.
Commenting on the recognition, Lasantha Dasanayaka, Vice President – Human Resources at NDB stated, “This award represents far more than an achievement it reflects who we are as an organisation. At NDB, we believe that diversity strengthens us, inclusion defines us, and empowering women elevates us. We take great pride in fostering an environment where women can lead boldly, grow confidently, and create meaningful impact. This recognition motivates us to further strengthen our D&I agenda and continue building a workplace that inspires every employee to succeed.”
The accolade reinforces NDB’s position as one of Sri Lanka’s leading employers committed to progressive people practices, modern workplace culture, and the holistic development of its talent. As the Bank continues its journey of transformation, D&I remains a cornerstone of its strategy, ensuring that its people, culture, and values are aligned with the future of work.
NDB remains dedicated to empowering the nation and its people through meaningful financial solutions, industry-leading digital innovations, and a strong, inclusive organisational culture rooted in respect, equality, and opportunity for all.
