- Wins five awards, including Overall Gold Award for Integrated Reporting Excellence
Colombo, 20th October 2023: Proving its commitment to best practices in reporting and accountability yet again, Sri Lanka’s 2nd largest life insurer, Softlogic Life, emerged victorious at the CMA Excellence in Integrated Reporting Awards 2023, winning five prestigious accolades for its 2022 annual report themed ‘Reimagining’. The five awards, including the coveted Overall Gold for Integrated Reporting Excellence that showcases Softlogic Life’s strong commitment to Transparency, Accountability, Governance and Sustainability.
Softlogic Life now ranked amongst the best of the best in corporate Sri Lanka staved off stiff competition from heavyweights to win the Overall Gold award for Integrated Reporting Excellence, making them the youngest Company in Sri Lanka to win this recognition. Furthermore, this achievement makes Softlogic Life the only Sri Lankan insurer honored by this award in the history of the CMA Awards. Similarly, Softlogic bagged four other awards – Best Integrated Report – Insurance Sector, Award for Best Disclosure on Materiality, Award for Best Ten Integrated Reports in Sri Lanka and the Award for Best Chief Financial Officer in Sri Lanka which was awarded to Nuwan Withanage.
The Integrated Annual Report reflects Softlogic Life’s drive to transcend industry norms and push the boundaries of financial reporting in Sri Lanka. This is the 10th consecutive time Softlogic Life has presented its Integrated Annual Report in its journey of integrating reporting, which started in 2013. The Integrated Annual Report provides a comprehensive account of how Softlogic Life created value for its stakeholders. It also provides a balanced and concise analysis of the Company, its external environment, strategy, resource allocation, business model, performance, corporate governance and other valuable prospects.
Being a natural at embracing technology and innovation, Softlogic Life continues to leverage novel digital solutions that extend to financial reporting as the Company firmly believes in a digitally-enabled report for an ever-changing digital world. Sri Lanka’s first-ever ‘Generate Your Own Report’ was such an initiative, where users can now create customized sub-reports of the Company’s annual report.
Softlogic Life was the first Company in Asia and Sri Lanka to obtain external Assurance on integrated reporting in 2020, and it continues to obtain external Assurance on integrated reporting for the third consecutive year in 2022. The Annual Report has also received external Assurance on sustainability indicators in compliance with ‘Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)’ guidelines.
Furthermore, the Annual Report also provides the Chairman’s review, the Managing Director’s review and primary financial statements in all three languages – English, Sinhala and Tamil- proving Softlogic Life’s commitment to inclusivity. The Company has adopted the Insurance Sustainability Accounting Standard by SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standard Board) and has obtained the Carbon Conscious Certificate by showing its responsibility towards natural capital.
In such a context, the latest recognition at the CMA Awards demonstrates Softlogic Life’s commitment to transparency and high-quality reporting, reassuring stakeholders, including investors, that the Company is weathering the economic turbulence with integrity. Furthermore, the award-winning Annual Report reassures investors and other stakeholders of the Company’s stability and ability to navigate challenging times.
Commenting on Softlogic Life’s significant achievement, Managing Director Iftikar Ahamed said, “Celebrating this prestigious award for our Annual Report could not have come at a more crucial time. The year 2022 was unprecedented in terms of economic and political turmoil and to emerge at the top of the heap is a huge testament to the he strength of our Company. The Annual Report is not just a nice document; it is a reflection of our unwavering commitment to transparency, integrity, and the highest reporting standards. As the economic landscape continues to shift, the trust and confidence of our stakeholders is our most valuable attribute. A comprehensive annual report becomes a beacon of stability and assurance in these extraordinary times. It exemplifies our commitment to excellence and reinforces our ability to navigate these uncharted waters. We will continue to uphold these high standards as we move forward, forging a path of strength and trust for Softlogic Life and all our stakeholders.”
Softlogic Life Chief Financial Officer Nuwan Withanage said, “We are delighted and honoured to win the Overall Excellence Gold Award for Integrated reporting for Integrated Annual Integrated Report 2022, demonstrating our commitment to Transparency, Accountability, Governance and Sustainability. In 2022, we took many initiatives to improve our transparency further in financial reporting, such as disclosure on strategic Key Performance Indicators, while continuing to obtain External Assurance and compliance with global standards such as Integrated Reporting, GRI and SASB. These measures prove our dedication to driving long-term value for our clients and communities. To be adjudged the Best CFO at the CMA Awards is a milestone achievement in my professional career and I deeply appreciate the Company’s support throughout that journey.”