Citizens Financial Group has been named Bank of the Year 2022 for the U.S. by The Banker, an outlet of The Financial Times, as part of the magazine’s annual global banking awards.

In announcing the award, the magazine noted Citizens’ successful growth strategy since becoming an independent public company in 2014. This included the bank’s acquisitions of HSBC’s East Coast branches and of Investors Bancorp, which closed earlier this year, and its ambitious technology agenda, which has enabled it to provide excellent customer experiences.

“We are highly pleased to receive this recognition from The Banker, marking the significant progress since our IPO,” said Bruce Van Saun, chairman and chief executive officer of Citizens. ”Our growth strategy is focused on delivering for customers, which rests upon embracing next generation technology, designing enhanced customer experiences, and continuing to be a trusted advisor to our customers across their unique financial journeys. This focus will propel us to perform even better over time. My thanks to all Citizens colleagues who work each and every day to serve our customers and communities so well.”

The Banker ‘Bank of the Year’ Awards are regarded as the ‘Oscars of the Banking Industry,’ and are designed to highlight industry-wide excellence within the banking community globally. Judges select winning banks based on performance, innovation, adding customer value and leadership in society. The Banker selects one winning bank for each of the 120 countries judged.