When several of Pan Asia Bank’s managers were recognised at The Great Manager Awards 2025, it was more than a moment of celebration. It was a signal that something deeper is at work within the organisation. Thushari Malalgoda, Assistant General Manager – Human Resources at Pan Asia Bank, talks about building leadership and culture, the systems, values, and everyday practices that have made strong management a defining feature of Pan Asia Bank.
Pan Asia Bank’s managers have been recognised at The Great Manager Awards 2025. From an HR perspective, what sets your management approach apart?
It starts with clarity. Every person in the bank, from the CEO down to frontline staff, understands exactly what they are working towards. We use cascaded KPIs so that individual effort is always connected to the broader business goal. That alignment removes ambiguity and gives people a sense of purpose in their daily work.
Performance is also tied to recognition in a meaningful way. We have built a culture where results are acknowledged and where fairness in evaluation is non-negotiable. Our “Together We Rise” performance matrix monitors the performance of branch staff on a monthly basis, with Branch Score Cards for Branch Managers built around key financial performance indicators. Support department staff are evaluated through the Balanced Scorecard annually.
Underpinning all of this is a genuine focus on people development. Our managers do not just manage. They coach, they identify potential early, and they create stretch opportunities so that employees grow in confidence and capability. This reduces our dependence on external talent for critical roles and builds a workforce that is ready for what comes next.
How does Pan Asia Bank cultivate a culture of trust, collaboration, and growth?
Open communication is at the heart of it. We have Joint Consultative Council meetings where staff can raise concerns and share suggestions directly with the CEO and Corporate Management. We also run quarterly “Coffee with CEO” sessions for top performers and staff who have completed banking exams. These are not token gestures. They are genuine opportunities for people to be heard, and that matters enormously to morale and trust.
On the learning side, we have structured training programmes aligned to both branch network needs and gaps identified through our Training Needs Analysis. Our Learning Management System handles several training programmes including mandatory regulatory training, while talent pools ensure we are always developing our future-ready workforce. Recognition is also behaviour-based. Monthly awards, commendation letters for outstanding customer service, and mystery shopper feedback loops all reinforce the kind of culture we want to sustain.
Employee wellbeing is taken seriously too. We offer counselling, grievance resolution, health support, and flexible work practices because we believe that a supported employee is a productive one.
What role do managers play in identifying and developing talent within the bank?
Managers are the first line of talent identification. Through regular performance reviews, they spot high-potential staff and feed them into structured talent pools — whether that is a credit officer pool, a branch manager pool, or a second officer pool. Staff in these pools receive continuous training relevant to the roles they are being prepared for, and we always look to fill vacancies internally before turning to external hiring.
We also believe that leadership development is most effective when it is experiential. One example of this is our Lean Yellow Belt programme, where ten staff members each completed a lean project addressing a real business challenge — from process efficiency to customer experience. They walked away with both a certification and a tangible contribution to the bank’s strategic goal of continuous transformation. That kind of initiative develops the individual and moves the organisation forward at the same time.
In a fast-changing financial landscape, how do managers balance driving results with supporting their teams through uncertainty?
The starting point is clarity about priorities. When people know what success looks like, they can stay focused even when the environment shifts around them. We use weekly standups, monthly reviews, and immediate feedback loops to keep communication flowing and to catch issues before they become problems.
Resilience is also built deliberately. We invest in cross-skilling and continuous learning so that teams can adapt to evolving economic and regulatory pressures without feeling overwhelmed. Where needed, we use flexible KPIs and scenario-based planning so that targets remain meaningful rather than discouraging. And through it all, mentoring, coaching, and transparent leadership guidance give people the support they need to keep moving forward.
Winning a Great Managers Award sets a high benchmark. How do you plan to sustain this culture of leadership excellence?
Winning is validating, but it also raises the bar. Our focus now is on making everything we have built more durable and more dynamic. That means expanding our talent pools, strengthening succession planning, and continuing to refine our KPIs with better data-driven decision making.
We will continue investing in digital HR tools and continuous learning so our workforce stays agile. But just as importantly, we will keep the human elements at the centre: regular feedback, open communication forums, monthly area meetings, and purposeful one-on-one engagements. Trust and psychological safety are not things you build once. They need constant care. And as long as our leadership continues to model the values the bank stands for, I am confident the culture will continue to grow.