Asiamoney Best Bank Awards

Citi’s Malaysia chief executive, Usman Ahmed, took the reins at the bank in February 2021, in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic and at a time of political turmoil.

AmBank, led by chief executive Sulaiman Mohd Tahir, has been rapidly gaining ground at home.

Kuala Lumpur’s banking scene is awash with savvy mobile apps that ensure customers might never again want, or need, to enter a bank branch.

Union Commercial Bank, led by CEO Jordan Chung, is Asiamoney’s winner of the best bank for CSR in Cambodia for successfully integrating its responsibility to the community with its business activities.

Making the most of very little served Credit Suisse’s Cambodian investment banking operations well in the past year. During Asiamoney’s awards period, the economy was still struggling to recover from the pandemic, leading to a difficult environment for capital-raising. Yet the Swiss bank, led by head of frontier markets Babur Rais, brought some key deals to the market.

As a subsidiary of Malaysia’s Public Bank, Campu can leverage the strength and reputation of its parent when it comes to attracting clients.

Which banks in each market have excelled across a range of core banking activities over the past 12 months?

Greater China powerhouse HSBC wins three of Asiamoney’s awards for Hong Kong this year: best domestic bank, best investment bank and best bank for digital solutions. And for good reason. HSBC proved its mettle across a host of different business lines, despite the triple threat of the pandemic, market volatility and pressure on net interest margins.

Sampath Bank wins Asiamoney’s award for best bank for corporate and social responsibility this year because of the impact of its innovative and social-changing ways during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis.