OCB affirms position as transparent, sustainable bank with prestigious awards

Amid continuous market volatility and increasingly stringent governance standards in the financial sector, Vietnam’s Commercial Bank (OCB) has once again demonstrated its leading position by consecutively earning major industry recognitions.

The Ho Chi Minh City-headquartered bank has become the only financial institution honored for “Outstanding Progress in Corporate Governance” at the Vietnam Listed Company Awards 2025 (VLCA 2025), while also securing a spot among the Top 10 Sustainable Companies in Trade & Services Sector in the Corporate Sustainability Index 2025 (CSI 2025).

The only bank awarded “Outstanding Progress in Corporate Governance”

At VLCA 2025, OCB outperformed more than 500 listed companies across both the Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi stock exchanges to enter the Top 50 finalists in all three categories: Annual Report, Corporate Governance, and Sustainability Report. The bank ultimately became the only bank in the mid-cap group to receive the “Outstanding Progress in Corporate Governance.”

The judging panel highly commended OCB for its strategic shift from a “compliance-based governance model” to a “value-driven governance model.”

This transformation is reflected in a series of governance improvements, including early disclosure of meeting materials and key information for shareholders, pre-AGM shareholder consultation activities, greater transparency in the board of directors’ candidate selection criteria, and enhancements to reporting quality to ensure clarity, avoid redundancy, and focus on core contents.

Notably, 2025 marks the year VLCA upgraded and expanded its evaluation criteria, raising the bar for participating companies. New requirements cover board independence, the effectiveness of specialized committees, transparency in transactions with related parties, and deeper conflict-of-interest controls.

These updates push companies to make comprehensive improvements from organizational structure to operational processes. This demonstrates that VLCA is increasingly aligning with advanced global assessment models, while also highlighting OCB’s excellence in meeting these elevated standards.

Named among Top 10 Sustainable Companies in CSI 2025

In addition to its governance success, OCB continued to advance on its sustainability journey by being recognized among Vietnam’s Top 10 Sustainble Companies in Trade & Services Sector at CSI 2025, organized by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

This marks the second consecutive year the lender has been included in the prestigious list, solidifying its steady progress in sustainable development.

CSI 2025 consists of 145 indicators across seven areas, divided into two levels: Basic (87 indicators) and Advanced (58 indicators), covering economic, governance, social, and environmental dimensions. Compared to previous years, CSI 2025 places stronger emphasis on moving from “compliance” to “innovation” in sustainable development practices, positioning it as a long-term competitive advantage.

To obtain this recognition, OCB surpassed nearly 600 enterprises and underwent three rounds of independent evaluation by a judging panel comprising representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Vietnam Institute of Directors (VIOD), the Center for Environmental Research Education and Development (CERED), Deloitte Vietnam, EPRO Consulting JSC, study consultancy firm OneStep, Energy and Environment Consultancy JSC. (VNEEC), and Business Forum magazine.

OCB’s inclusion in the Top 10 demonstrates its full compliance with stringent criteria - strong evidence of the bank’s consistent ESG practices over the years. This also reaffirms the bank’s strong efforts in integrating these factors into its business strategy, as well as its pioneering role in advancing green finance in Vietnam.

OCB is recognized as one of the earliest Vietnamese banks to build a long-term sustainability strategy. In 2025, amidst ongoing economic fluctuations, the bank remains firmly committed to its strategic direction through developing green financial products and policies specifically for SMEs, WSMEs, and start-ups, improving governance frameworks, enhancing ESG (environmental, social, and governance) risk management, and increasing transparency in sustainability reporting and disclosures.

“Awarded twice in two major national programs is evidence of OCB’s efforts in building a transparent and responsible governance model - an essential foundation for long-term growth, thereby creating enduring value for partners, communities, and society,” an OCB representative said.

Recently, OCB became an official member of the Alliance for Green Commercial Banks, reaffirming its commitment to a strong transition, comprehensive greening of operations, and expanding multilateral collaboration in green finance.

Looking ahead, the bank vows to effectively execute its development strategy with the goal of becoming one of the Top 5 leading private commercial banks in Vietnam. It will continue strengthening partnerships and stakeholder engagement to mobilize resources, learn from international best practices, and adopt the highest ESG standards in order to ensure sustainable business operations aligned with the interests of customers, shareholders, and the national economy.

OCB targets total assets of VND316.78 trillion ($12.23 billion) in 2025, marking a 13% year-on-year increase. Customer deposits from the Tier-1 market are expected to grow by 14% to VND218.84 trillion, said chairman Trinh Van Tuan at the bank’s 2025 AGM in April.

Notably, the bank expects a 16% rise in total outstanding loans from the first-tier market, reaching VND208.47 trillion ($8.05 billion). Its pre-tax profit is projected to rise by 33% from 2024 to VND5.24 trillion ($202.3 million).

On the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), OCB closed Monday at VND12,400 ($0.47) per share.