Macquarie sets CEO succession for 2026

Macquarie Group has outlined a long-range leadership transition, stating that Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Shemara Wikramanayake will retire and step down from her roles effective 6 November 2026. The announcement confirms that the group has already identified her successor, providing clarity on the future leadership of the company well ahead of the changeover date.

The transition plan centers on continuity at the top of the organisation, with the board setting out the timetable for the handover more than two years in advance. The move frames the leadership change as a structured process rather than a sudden shift, giving stakeholders time to adjust to the upcoming change.

Macquarie has named Greg Ward as the successor to Shemara Wikramanayake in the role of chief executive officer. Ward currently leads the group’s Banking and Financial Services division, one of Macquarie’s core operating businesses.

Ward is a long-serving executive who joined Macquarie in 1996. Over nearly three decades at the firm, he has held several senior positions, including serving as global chief financial officer for about 14 years and working as deputy managing director. This experience places him among the most seasoned leaders within the organisation’s existing management team.

His appointment as CEO-designate underscores the company’s reliance on internal talent with deep knowledge of its operations. The choice of a current division head and former group CFO highlights a focus on maintaining established strategic and financial oversight practices.

Shemara Wikramanayake has been Macquarie’s CEO since late 2018, giving her roughly eight years in the top role by the time of her planned retirement in November 2026. Her period as chief executive follows a career of close to four decades at the firm, reflecting one of the longest-serving executive careers within the group.

Reports note that Wikramanayake is 64, and her planned retirement marks the conclusion of a lengthy tenure at Macquarie that spans multiple leadership roles and market cycles. The board has publicly acknowledged her service, linking the upcoming change to a long-planned transition rather than a near-term reaction to events.

By setting a clear effective date for Wikramanayake’s departure and naming Ward as successor well in advance, Macquarie provides investors, employees and clients with visibility on its future leadership. This structure aims to limit uncertainty that can accompany senior management changes at large financial institutions.

The internal succession from a seasoned executive with extensive operational and financial responsibilities suggests that Macquarie intends to preserve strategic continuity while preparing for a generational shift in leadership. The delineated timeline offers scope for a measured handover of responsibilities within the group’s senior ranks.