Finance leaders celebrated in King’s Birthday 2026 Honours List

• 703 awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia (five appointed Companion of the Order [AC]; 40 appointed Officer of the Order [AO]; 183 appointed Member of the Order [AM]; and 474 awarded Medal of the Order [OAM])
• 34 awards in the Military Division of the Order of Australia (3 AO, 11 AM, and 20 OAM)
• 149 Meritorious Awards
• 63 Conspicuous Awards.

Finance industry recipients

Among the finance industry leaders recognised is Lyn Cobley, who has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for “significant service to the business and financial sector through executive roles”.

Cobley currently serves as an independent non-executive board member at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) – a role she has held since 2022. Her extensive banking career includes serving as the CEO of Westpac Institutional Bank from 2015–20.

Prior to that, she was CBA’s executive general manager of retail products and third-party banking between 2013 and 2015, following a six-year tenure as the major bank’s group treasurer (2007–2013). Her foundational finance roles also include serving as the vice-president of securitisation at Citi throughout the 1990s.

APRA deputy chair receives AM

Also recognised in this year’s list is Margaret Cole, who was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for “significant service to finance through regulatory reform in the industry”.

Cole has served as the deputy chair of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) since 2022, after first joining the prudential regulator’s board in 2021. Prior to her time at APRA, Cole was the global regulatory policy and engagement leader at PwC and spent eight years as the chief risk officer and general counsel for PwC UK (2012–20). Her executive banking experience includes serving as the independent non-executive director of Toronto Dominion Bank Europe and chair of Toronto Dominion Securities Limited between 2019 and 2021.

Former BOQ chair receives AM

Also featured prominently in this year’s full Honours List is Warwick Negus, who has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for “significant service to the not-for-profit, education and financial sectors.” Negus served as the chairman of the Bank of Queensland (BOQ) from 2023–25, having been an independent director at the bank since 2016. His asset management and banking credentials include serving as the CEO of Colonial First State Asset Management (2005–08), co-founder and CEO of 452 Capital, and managing director at Goldman Sachs (1994–2002).

Fellow sector veteran James Hazel has similarly been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for “significant service to the finance sector through a range of senior board roles”. Hazel’s longstanding boardroom career in banking includes serving as a non-executive director at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank for over a decade (2010–23) as well as serving as a former board member and chair of Elders Rural Bank Limited.

Other finance industry leaders honoured for their contributions to the industry:

• Marianne Birch, OAM – Awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the finance industry. Birch is an executive director of Macquarie Capital and chair of the Financial Institutions Group (ANZ), bringing over two decades of financial services, M&A, and corporate advisory experience.
• Martijn Wilder AM, AO – Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to environmental conservation, the renewable energy sector, sustainable finance, animal welfare, and the law. Wilder is the founder and CEO of climate change investment and advisory firm Pollination and previously headed Baker McKenzie’s global climate law and finance practice for 20 years.
• Sharon Cook, OAM – Awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the banking industry and to the law. Cook is a highly regarded corporate legal executive who has previously served as the chief legal and corporate affairs officer at National Australia Bank (NAB).
• Fawaz Sankari, OAM – Awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community and to the banking sector. Sankari serves as the chief banking officer at Bank of Sydney, where he has overseen commercial and retail distribution systems since joining the executive team in 2012.

“Our honours system recognises outstanding people who contribute so much to Australia,” the Governor-General said. “In our communities, in workplaces and across the country, recipients have made an exceptional contribution to Australia.”

Award recipients will attend investiture ceremonies at Government House in their respective state or territory in the coming months to receive the insignia of their award.

[Related: Finance leaders recognised in King’s Birthday Honours List]