For the fourth time in six years, Bank of Nova Scotia was named “Bank of the Year in Canada” at the Financial Times Group’s Banker Awards ceremony in London, England, last night.

“Our goal is to be the best Canadian-based international financial services company and we are pleased and proud today to be recognized by the Financial Times Group and named Bank of the Year in Canada for the second time in three years by The Banker,” said Rick Waugh, president and CEO, Scotiabank, in a news release. “At the heart of this effort, close to 56,000 employees of the Scotiabank Group and our affiliates are dedicated to serving 10 million customers, in close to 50 countries, on five continents, in more than 80 languages.”

The Banker magazine — a leading financial services trade journal owned by the Financial Times Group — recognizes industry excellence annually. The magazine’s global editorial team bases awards on financial performance, technological innovation and corporate strategy.

The December edition of The Banker states: “Scotiabank has demonstrated its capacity to be the best Canadian-based financial services company. To help meet this goal, the bank has developed three key priorities: sustainable revenue growth, strategic aquisitions and effective capital management and allocation.”

Steven Lowe, Managing Director, ScotiaMocatta, accepted the Global Bracken Award on behalf of the Bank. The award is named after Brendan Bracken, the founding editor of The Banker magazine, in 1926, and chairman of the modern-day Financial Times from 1945 to 1958.