KINGSTON, Jamaica — Banking conglomerate, NCB Financial Group (NCBFG), has been named Jamaica’s Bank of the Year by internationally-renowned financial magazine The Banker.

NCBFG was awarded during a ceremony in London, England last Friday, November 29.

According to a release from the Caribbean Association of Banks (CAB), NCBFG was hailed for its expansionist vision, having obtained a controlling stake in Trinidad and Tobago’s Guardian Holdings, an insurance, pension and asset management firm with a 21-country network in the English and Dutch Caribbean, CAB said.

It further noted that the financial group has also been a technological innovator with regard to investment, credit cards and lending.

“The key ingredients of our success continue to be innovation, expertise and strength,” NCB Financial Group CEO, Septimus Blake was quoted as saying.

“We listen to our customers, and innovate to meet their needs. We invest aggressively in technology and equip our team to deliver expert service,” he added.

The Banker Magazine was started in 1926 as a subsidiary of the Financial Times of London and has been known as the ‘Global Banker’s Bible’ for over 90 years, the release said.

The Bank of the Year Awards celebrates excellence in the industry worldwide.

A panel of editors which includes regional and sector specialists assess over 1,000 applications from 120 countries before deciding which banks are worthy of the highest honour in global banking, based on their improvements in the preceding year.

The 2019 awards were presented to companies in 138 countries, as well as six regional awards, and the top prize for the global bank of the year.