Shemara Wikramanayake has been appointed Macquarie Group‘s first female Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer after Nicholas Moore’s retirement was announced by Group Chairman Peter Warne on Thursday 26 July.
Nicholas will retire and step down from the Boards of Macquarie Group Limited and Macquarie Bank Limited effective 30 November 2018, shortly after completing the usual investor roadshow alongside Shemara. Shemara will be appointed to the Boards of Macquarie Group Limited and Macquarie Bank Limited.
Shemara, currently Group Head of Macquarie Asset Management said she is honoured to be asked by the Board to succeed Nicholas as CEO of Macquarie. “I have had the privilege of working with him for 30 years, including the last 10 with him as CEO,” said Shemara. “He leaves Macquarie in an outstanding position, having led the business to a record level of earnings, a robust funding and capital position, an excellent leadership team and solid momentum for the future. I look forward to working with the Board, management and our entire Macquarie team to build on Nicholas’ remarkable legacy for the benefit of all our stakeholders.”
Peter said he is delighted to have a candidate of Shemara’s calibre to take the Group forward. “Nicholas has been central to Macquarie’s growth and evolution over many years, transforming the Group into the global, diversified business it is today,” Peter said. “Shemara takes over a business with significant momentum and market-leading positions and does so with the international track record, vision and strong sense of our unique culture to make this a very successful transition.”
Nicholas said he has worked with Shemara for more than 30 years, and is reassured that Macquarie will be left in strong and safe hands once he has retired.”I have been honoured to lead our teams through a period of unprecedented market change, profitable growth and many projects that have positively impacted our clients and the communities in which we operate around the world,” said Nicholas. “Macquarie succeeds thanks to the opportunities that flow from the commitment and expertise of our people and these are qualities that I’m confident will continue to flourish under the leadership of Shemara and the broader management team.”
Shemara joined Macquarie in 1987 and worked with Nicholas in Corporate Services and then in establishing Macquarie Capital, which at that time included advisory; infrastructure funds; corporate leasing and lending; and cash equities. She was appointed Head of Macquarie Asset Management in 2008, when Nicholas became Group CEO. In her time at Macquarie, Shemara has worked in nine cities in six countries and across several business lines. This has included establishing and leading Macquarie’s corporate advisory offices in New Zealand, Hong Kong and Malaysia, and the infrastructure funds management business in the US and Canada. Shamara also serves as Chair of the Macquarie Group Foundation.
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