HBL launches new corporate identity

In an effort to modernise and revamp its corporate image, the Habib Bank Limited (HBL), one of the oldest and well respected banks of the nation, announced the launch of its new corporate identity. The announcement was made by HBL President and CEO Zakir Mahmood at a press briefing held here on Monday.
Zafar Aziz Osmani, SEVP Human Resource and Organisational Development, HBL, Aly Mustansir, EVP and Head of Marketing and Brand Management and Shujaat Ali Baig, Media Advisor and Head of Publicity and Public Relations, HBL were also present on this occasion.
He said that the HBL's new corporate identity is a reflection of Habib Bank's vision to enable people to advance with confidence and success. Moreover, as part of the bank's new identity, the bank has been adopted as the new corporate brand, with a view to modernising Habib Bank's image whilst keeping its association with the bank's glorious heritage.
Elaborating the overall theme of the launch, Zakir Mahmood laid stress on the Habib Bank's ongoing commitment towards excellence and progressiveness, which endeavours to keep pace with the growing demands of today's fast-paced era.
"We at Habib Bank Limited (HBL) are proud of serving all economic segments; from the individual retail customers to the traders in the SME sector, the middle market and the largest corporations and companies throughout Pakistan. We have now decided to adopt HBL as our corporate brand and our new brand identity is the outward expression of all the core elements that are symbolic of the Habib Bank as a passionate and people-centric bank ie excellence, progressiveness, meritocracy, integrity and customer focus", said Zakir Mahmood.
He said the bank's focus in recent years has been on improving services available through its branch networks, namely on its core consumer, retail, SME and corporate businesses. Zakir Mahmood also said the HBL has plans to expand its presence in its principal international markets, which include the UK, UAE, South and Central Asia, Africa, and the Far East.
The Habib Bank Limited was incorporated in 1941 in Bombay and moved its headquarters to Karachi in 1947, becoming the first commercial bank to be established in Pakistan. The HBL has the largest domestic branch network with 1,437 branches and is present in 24 countries across five continents.
It is the largest private bank in Pakistan with a customer base of five million customers and a balance sheet size of more than $9.6 billion. The HBL is currently rated AA (long-term) and A1+ (hort-term). It is the first Pakistani bank to raise Tier II Capital from external sources.