The Case Study - Seylan Bank

52The Case Study > Seylan Bank PLC Annual Report 2009Image and BrandingAs customer confidence continues to grow, Seylan Bank will balance itsestablished identity as a caring, personally responsive institution with a morebusinesslike image – in effect using the residual positive impact of the crisisrecoverystory to give its brand more depth and credibility. At the same time,efforts will continue to distance the Seylan Bank brand from the negativeassociations of the Ceylinco legacy.The Strategic Plan: 2009–2011Out of the foregoing assessment process, Seylan Bank has identified the criticalsuccess factors for each area and mapped out a comprehensive three-year planthat will guide decision-making through the end of 2011. The specifics of theplan are proprietary in nature and therefore beyond the scope of this case study.However, its main elements can be summarised broadly as follows:• Goals - defined and quantified in relation to seven specific performance indicators:return on equity, profit after tax, cost-to-income ratio, customer deposits, totalassets, NPL ratio and market position in terms of total assets. These goals willbe incorporated into the budgets developed for each financial year.• Strategic Initiatives - including domestic and international expansionopportunities; capital requirements; governance structure and practices;liquidity management, including loans-to-deposits ratio and long-term assetmaturity planning; risk management, especially with regard to NPL recoveriesand credit evaluation; mergers and acquisitions; and image and branding.• Business-Level Strategies - focusing on the core business areas of retail banking,corporate banking, customer segmentation and product market strategy,as well as a range of support areas, including organisational structure,centralisation of management systems and human resources management.Guiding implementation of the strategic plan is a board whose successin stabilising Seylan Bank has won emphatic support from all stakeholders.Originally appointed for a period of six months, the directors, led byMr. Narangoda as Executive Chairman, subsequently had their terms extendedby a further three years. (The appointments were confirmed by a unanimousvote at the Annual General Meeting held in the month of June 2009.)