Maria Ramos is presently the CEO of Barclays Africa Group Limited, formerly Absa Group of Absa Group Limited, a financial services conglomerate, with headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa, and subsidiaries in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. As CEO of Absa Group Limited she has the responsibility for executing the Group’s strategy across 10 African operations, serving 15 Million customers through more than 11,000 outlets.

Prior to joining Absa as Group Chief Executive in March 2009, she was the Group Chief Executive of Transnet Limited, the state-owned freight transport and logistics service provider for five years. This was after successfully serving as Director-General of the National Treasury from 1996 to 2003.

She has in the past served as a non-executive and independent director on the boards of Sanlam Limited, Remgro Limited and SABMiller Plc, and currently serves on the Board of Richemont SA.

She is the current Chairman of the Banking Association of South Africa, a member of the Executive Committee of the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council and on the Board of Business Leadership South Africa.

Absa CEO, Maria Ramos was awarded a hefty salary of R37.6 million for the 2017 financial year. Ramos’s salary comprise of a basic salary of R8.23 million which included benefits over R328 000. The executive also enjoyed bonuses of R12.5 million and R16.6 million deferred income from previous years.

Maria Ramos is also on the board of Compagnie Financière Richemont SA and The Banking Association of South Africa and Member of The Institute of Bankers In South Africa and Member of Business Leadership South Africa.