This archive report was first published on 21 November 2019.
Shemara Wikramanayake, the Managing Director/CEO of Macquarie Group Ltd, has made history as the highest paid female CEO in Australia. According to the Australian Financial Review's latest CEO pay survey, Wikramanayake earns over AUD 18 million (Sh1.2 billion) per year, approximately Sh100 million per month.
At 57 years old, Wikramanayake replaced Nicholas Moore as the bank's CEO on 1 December 2018, marking the bank's first female CEO. She is also the only woman CEO among Australia's 20 biggest companies by market value.
Under her leadership, the company saw an 11 per cent rise in half-year profit to 1.46 billion AUD (Sh100.7 Billion). Wikramanayake is one of only four women CEOs out of 50 highest-paid CEOs in Australia, alongside Coca-Cola Amatil CEO Alison Watkins, Mirvac Group CEO Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, and Fortescue Metals CEO Elizabeth Gaines.
Despite the benefits of having female CEOs in executive positions, the number of female CEOs globally remains at an average of 5 per cent. Women face various challenges in comparison to men, including biases in leadership roles and different growth processes.
Published on November 21, 2019.
