Our People
Maria Ramos
Group Chair | Joined January 2021
Appointed
Maria was appointed as Group Chair of Standard Chartered PLC in May 2025.
She was previously appointed an independent non-executive director of Standard Chartered PLC and to the Court of Standard Chartered Bank in January 2021. She was appointed Senior Independent Director of Standard Chartered PLC in September 2022, stepping down prior to becoming Group Chair in 2025.
Experience
Maria is a seasoned leader and former banker, with a wealth of experience from leadership positions within the private sector and government. She has extensive international non-executive and Chair experience as well as a deep understanding of operating across emerging and developing markets.
Career
Maria served as chief executive officer of Absa Group Limited (previously Barclays Africa Group), a diversified financial services group serving 12 African markets, from 2009 to 2019. Before joining Absa, Maria was the group chief executive of Transnet Ltd, the state-owned freight transport and logistics service provider, for five years. Prior to her CEO career, Maria served for seven years as director-general of South Africa’s National Treasury (formerly the Department of Finance) where she played a key role in transforming the National Treasury into one of the most effective and efficient state departments in the post-apartheid administration.
Maria has served on several international boards, including Sanlam Ltd, Remgro Ltd, and SABMiller plc. She was a non-executive director of Saudi British Bank, Public Investment Corporation Limited and Chair of AngloGold Ashanti PLC before stepping down in May 2024. She was also a non-executive director of Compagnie Financière Richemont SA before stepping down in March 2025.
External Appointments
Maria is a member of the Group of Thirty, sits on the International Advisory Board of the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University and on the Wits Foundation Board of Governors.