Macquarie Group chief executive Shemara Wikramanayake has topped Australia’s highest-paid CEOs for the fourth year in a row with a reported $29.4 million pay packet this year, taking her total pay to almost $300 million during her six years leading the investment bank.

She is one of just four women on the list of 50 highest-paid CEOs, alongside Woodside Energy CEO Meg O’Neill, who ranked 20th on $7.45 million, Xero CEO Sukhinder Singh Cassidy at 34th on $6.73 million and Telstra CEO Vicki Brady, who ranked 45th with $5.64 million.