Australia's leading lender unveiled

After months of anticipation, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia was named Australia’s best lender for the second consecutive year.

A joint initiative of The Adviser and RFi, the Australian Lending Awards, held at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth on Friday, recognised the nation’s top lenders, innovators and personalities.

Similar to last year's event, the Commonwealth Bank stole the show, not only collecting the esteemed Mortgage Lender of the Year award but the awards for Best Third Party Lender, Best Broker Cross-Sell Offering and Best First Home Buyer Lender as well.

“We are thrilled to be recognised as Australia’s best lender for the second consecutive year,” CBA’s executive general manager, third party banking, Kathy Cummings said.

“This award is a testament to CBA’s hard work and ongoing dedication to both the first and third party distribution channels.”

Other winners on the night included ANZ for Best Investor Lender, ME Bank for Best Customer Marketing and Westpac for Best Self-Employed Lender.

ING DIRECT’s Lisa Claes took home the coveted Best Thought Leader award, while the bank also managed to collect the award for Best Customer Experience.

Australia’s credit unions and mutuals were also represented on the night, with State Custodians taking home Best Online Operator and Credit Union Australia claiming the award for Best Innovator.

“It is good to see such an array of lenders represented at this year’s Australian Lending Awards,” The Adviser's publisher Jim Hall said.

“This is the third annual Australian Lending Awards and I can safely say it gets better each and every single year. A big thank you has to be said to all of our sponsors, without whom the entire event would not have been possible.”

To view photos from the 2013 Australian Lending Awards, CLICK HERE.