Leader Bank and its President and CEO, Sushil Tuli, are recipients of the 2015 Boston Business Journal’s (BBJ) Leaders in Diversity Award. Mr. Tuli and the Bank were honored with the Corporate Innovation Award. 

 

The BBJ Leaders in Diversity Award honors companies that have successfully established diversity programs and have created measurable opportunity and change. Leader Bank and its holding company, Leader Bancorp, have one of the most diverse corporate boards of any financial institution in Boston. 

 

“In today’s cultural diverse marketplace, diversity and inclusion are a part of everything we do in our business, from our board of the directors to our staff,” said Mr. Tuli. Research shows that companies with racial and gender diverse workforces outperform their competitors. We are honored to be recognized for what is considered one of the core values of our company.”

 

Mr. Tuli arrived from India to this country in 1978 and began his career in the financial services industry, holding several positions in banking and financial services before founding Leader Bank in 2002. The Bank recently chose the Seaport Innovation District as the site of its first branch in Boston and its seventh location overall because the District has become the New England’s epicenter of technology and innovation. 

 

“Being part of an Innovation District fits well with our identity,” said John Fanciullo, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer. “We are an innovative bank - we create many of our new products, which are unique within banking. We are growing the organization by trying to stand out from our competitors while providing new solutions to our customers.”

 

Sushil Tuli has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Leader Bank since its formation in 2002. Mr. Tuli previously has served as a director and chairman of the Massachusetts Mortgage Bankers Association (“MMBA”), the largest mortgage banking industry association in New England. Mr. Tuli is currently serving as a member of Fannie Mae’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council, and he previously has served on Fannie Mae’s Regional Advisory Board on two occasions. Recently Governor Charles Baker appointed Sushil Tuli to Massachusetts Economic Development Council.                                 

 

Mr. Tuli was selected as a finalist on two occasions Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, which is currently in its 23rd year of recognizing exceptional entrepreneurial achievement and excellence. The BBJ previously recognized Mr. Tuli as one of greater Boston’s Most Admired CEOs, and Banker & Tradesman named him a Community Bank Hero in 2013. Just this year, Mortgage Executive Magazine also honored Mr. Tuli as one of the Most Influential mortgage Executives in the entire country. Mr. Tuli is a graduate of the Harvard Business School “Owner/President Management Program” (OPM).

 

Leader Bank has continuously received a 5 Star Superior rating – denoting the highest level of overall banking performance – from the independent financial rating organization, Bauer Financial, since 2011. The award is based upon an analysis of current financial date and designates Leader Bank as one of the strongest banks in the nation in terms of financial health. Leader Bank also was named one of the healthiest banks in the country in 2014 by Sageworks, based on their measurement of credit health, and was ranked No. 1 for purchase mortgages among banks in Massachusetts for single family homes, multi-family homes, and condos in 2014 by the influential trade publication Banker and Tradesman.