Sri Lankan-origin Australian business executive Shemara Wikramanayake is set to retire as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Macquarie Group in November, ending a career spanning nearly four decades with the global financial services giant.
Macquarie Group announced that Wikramanayake, 64, will retire and step down from the boards of Macquarie Group Limited and Macquarie Bank Limited on November 6, 2026.
Her retirement has also drawn attention to her substantial personal shareholding in Macquarie.
According to Australian media reports, Wikramanayake directly owns 1,474,481 Macquarie shares, currently valued at more than US$260 million.
She also reportedly holds 378,091 restricted share units and 62,106 performance share units, potentially adding tens of millions of dollars to the value of her holdings.
Wikramanayake was also among Australia’s highest-paid chief executives, with her total remuneration reported at just under US$21 million last year.
Macquarie remains one of Australia’s biggest financial services groups, with operations across 30 markets and more than 19,000 employees globally.
The group reported a full-year profit equivalent to approximately US$3.4 billion for the financial year ended March 2026, up 30% from the previous year.
