The Macquarie Group team mourns the passing of Mark Johnson AO, one of Macquarie's founding leaders, and pays tribute to his significant contribution to our organisation and to Australian business more broadly.
Mark joined Hill Samuel Australia, Macquarie's predecessor organisation, in 1971, and served as Joint Managing Director alongside David Clarke AO from 1971 to 1977. Together, they were instrumental in building an important and differentiated offering in Australian financial services, laying the foundations for what would become Macquarie Bank and Macquarie Group. Mark played a key role in developing lending and corporate finance businesses which have continued to grow over almost six decades.
Mark and David Clarke worked together to establish Macquarie's cultural principles that have endured to this day, instilling a bottom-up culture which encouraged staff to take initiative, giving them broad latitude to seek out opportunities and develop ideas for new businesses at a time when top-down management was the norm. The leadership team was also clear and consistent about the principles of risk and control and that for staff, a high degree of autonomy came with individual responsibility for risk.
After moving to London in 1977 to lead Hill Samuel's international division, Mark left Macquarie briefly before returning in 1986 as Chair of Corporate Services. He continued to play a key role in our growth and culture as Deputy Chairman of Macquarie Bank until 2007 and Chairman of Macquarie Infrastructure Group until 2010. His legacy extends to generations of talent he developed, including Macquarie's future leaders Tony Berg (CEO 1985-1993), Allan Moss (CEO 1993-2008), Nicholas Moore, (CEO 2008-2018), Shemara Wikramanayake (CEO 2018-2026) and Greg Ward (CEO from 2026).
Shemara Wikramanayake, Macquarie Group CEO and Managing Director said: "Mark had a remarkable impact on Macquarie's origin story, laying the foundations of the organisation and shaping a culture that remains central to who we are today. I feel fortunate to have worked closely with Mark when I first joined Macquarie and to have seen firsthand his ethos of giving people the trust, responsibility and support to pursue opportunities. His influence extended well beyond Macquarie through his leadership and contribution to Australia's financial services sector and broader society. We are deeply grateful for all that Mark gave to Macquarie, and on behalf Macquarie staff past and present, I extend my sincere condolences to his family and friends."
Outside Macquarie, Mark held senior leadership and advisory roles across business, public policy and the community, where he made a significant impact on the banking and corporate finance sectors in Australia over 60 years. In 2010, he was awarded the Order of Australia (AO) for services to business and for leadership roles within finance and healthcare organisations.
