Maria Ramos

Position: Group Chief Executive, Absa

Maria is the Group Chief Executive of Absa Group Ltd, a subsidiary of Barclays PLC. Prior to joining Absa on 1 March 2009, she was the Group Chief Executive of Transnet Limited, the state-owned South African freight transport and logistics service provider. This was after a successful role as Director-General of the National Treasury (formerly the Department of Finance).
  
She led Transnet through a significant financial, cultural and operational turnaround and helped transform the state-owned enterprise into a modern and agile freight transport and logistics business.

Maria obtained an Institute of Bankers’ Diploma (CAIB) in 1983. She followed this with a BCom from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in 1986, a BCom Honours in Economics (also from Wits) in 1987 and an MSc (Economics) from the University of London in 1992. She is also a recipient of honorary doctorates from the Stellenbosch and Free State Universities.

During her tenure as Director-General of the National Treasury, Maria played a key role in transforming it into one of the most effective and efficient state departments in South Africa. Her contribution has been recognised through numerous awards.

Maria was named Outstanding Businesswoman of the Year at the African Business Awards in July 2009. Her other accolades include being named the Sunday Times Business Times Top 100 Business Leader of the Year (2005), achieving successive rankings by Fortune (the influential US-based publication, in its annual feature of the World’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business) as well as being named Businesswoman of the Year by the South African Businesswomen’s Association in 2001. 

She currently serves on the executive committees of the Business Trust (South Africa), the International Business Council, the World Bank Chief Economist Advisory Panel, Business Leadership South Africa and the Banking Association of South Africa.