📈 Shemara Wikramanayake to Retire as Macquarie CEO with $ 860M+ in Shares

Sri Lankan-origin Shemara Wikramanayake, 64, has announced her retirement as CEO of Macquarie Group after eight years at the helm and nearly four decades with the firm. She will officially step down in November 2026 and be succeeded by Greg Ward, Head of Banking and Financial Services. • Executive Compensation & Holdings: Wikramanayake departs with over $ 860 million (A$ 1.3+ Bn) in total equity, including 1.47M direct shares valued at $ 375M+, alongside restricted and performance share units. Her total remuneration last year was nearly $ 30 million, making her Australia’s fifth highest-paid CEO. • Corporate Governance: At a tense Annual General Meeting (AGM), Macquarie avoided a "second strike" board spill despite pushback on executive pay packets from groups like the Australian Shareholders' Association. • Fossil Fuel & Climate Backlash: Leadership faced intense grilling from shareholder collectives over funding massive fossil fuel expansions, such as the Beetaloo Basin gas fracking project, which investors argued directly contradicts the Paris Agreement. • Financial Performance: Wikramanayake leaves the financial services titan in a strong position, having recently reported a 30% increase in full-year net profit to $ 4.85 billion.