Macquarie CEO Wikramanayake to Retire, Ward Named Successor

Macquarie Group is a major Australian financial group spanning asset management, banking and financial services. Shemara Wikramanayake has led the company for eight years and spent almost four decades at Macquarie, steering it through expansion into new markets and the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her departure marks a consequential leadership transition for a group whose strategy and capital allocation are closely watched by investors.

Macquarie said on July 23, 2026 that Wikramanayake will retire as managing director and chief executive and leave the boards of Macquarie Group Limited and Macquarie Bank Limited on November 6. Greg Ward, head of Banking and Financial Services, will become managing director and CEO and join both boards on November 7, subject to required approvals. Ward joined Macquarie in 1996 and previously served 14 years as global chief financial officer.