Srinagar, Dec 12: J&K Bank has created a new department, Internal Communication & Knowledge Management Department. The Bank’s Editor, Sajjad Bazaz, has been placed Head of this department and orders to this effect were issued yesterday.
Sajad Bazaz, who is also a well known columnist with more than three decades of experience at its back in the field of journalism, after making a notable mark in Corporate Communication affairs of the bank and the banking industry since 2004, has been now given yet another challenging assignment to look after internal communication and knowledge management affairs of the bank on professional lines.
The IC&KM Department will exclusively focus on the knowledge management of the workforce of the bank at all levels. The basic aim would be to translate the initiatives of the department into better customer service. In other words, the department would be a shot in the arm of bank’s customer service.
A cross section of stakeholders have hailed the decision of the J&K Bank chairman Parvez Ahmed for creating this much-needed department and appointing a professional like Sajad Bazaz its Head.
Sajjad Bazaz, who started his career as a journalist in 1988 after completing his masters degree in mass communication and journalism from the Kashmir University, was appointed as Editor of the bank in 2004 after the bank created Editor’s post in the same year to handle bank’s publications, advertisements, Radio/TV programs, press releases and to have contact with media on regular basis to promote the brand image of the bank. Notably, when the bank launched its corporate website in 1998, he was content editor of the website.
As Head of the Corporate Communication Department of the bank, he was handling core areas – Advertising, Promotion, Branding, Media Relations, Internal Communication and Corporate Social Responsibility affairs- of the bank.
He has been instrumental in inculcating financial literacy among masses across every nook and corner of the state apart from writing on varied topics highlighting socio-political developments. He has been instrumental in tailoring the financial literacy campaign around the bank’s products and services and reputation management of the bank aimed to enhance its image.
Through his columns- Bank Watch, Straight Talk, Investment Matters and What’s Up- he has successfully created enthusiasm among youth for entrepreneurship and self-employment ventures. He customized financial literacy programme for the youth in which he highlighted schemes tailored by the bank and government sponsored schemes for start-ups and unemployed youth. He is also empanelled as guest lecturer by various educational institutions, besides being a guest faculty in the bank’s Training College. His performance in the field of public relations was acknowledged by the highest seat of learning in the state– University of Kashmir.
In September 2008, the university while acknowledging his ‘solid practical experience of dealing with the print media and corporate communications’, requested the bank to spare his services for the Media Education Research Centre of the University. The university had communicated to the bank that ‘this shall be a great contribution of the J&K Bank towards the betterment of the University.’
However, the then Chairman of the Bank, Dr Haseeb Drabu, didn’t entertain the request of the university.
