Clifton’s appointment comes as Macquarie Technology continues to scale across telecommunications, cloud, cybersecurity and data centres.
After more than 15 years in senior leadership, including more than a decade heading up Macquarie Telecom, he has decided to transition into the next chapter of his career – instead now focusing on governance, board and advisory work.
He held a central role in Macquarie’s SD-WAN evolution, cybersecurity and cloud enablement – including more recently the expansion of major partnerships like VeloCloud, Fortinet and Netskope.
Moving forward, Clifton will continue to support the business throughout the handover period. His appointment as Macquarie Technology director aims to ensure his experience and perspective will keep informing the company as it scales.
“Luke has made an extraordinary contribution to Macquarie Telecom over the past 15 years. He has shaped our challenger ethos, led the introduction of SD-WAN to the Australian market, championed our SoUnTelco approach, strengthened our cyber and cloud capabilities in the mid-market and built enduring customer and vendor partnerships,” commented David Tudehope, Macquarie Technology co-founder and CEO.
Clifton has a strong background in telecoms, having previously worked at Optus and Telstra before joining Macquarie Technology Group in 2011.
Speaking on his new role, he said: “Macquarie has been a defining chapter in my life and career and I am incredibly proud of what our team has achieved – from our SD-WAN leadership to our work with nbn, our cyber and cloud growth and our commitment to onshoring Australian jobs.
“After much reflection, I feel this is the right moment to transition to a governance and advisory portfolio.”
As part of this transition, Macquarie Telecom has appointed Marija Harris as group executive. This will be effective early 2026.
Harris, who has previously held senior roles at Foxtel and Virgin, has worked as Macquarie Telecom commercial director for the past two years. She has quickly become a critical contributor to the company’s strategy, financial performance and customer growth.
“Marija is a highly respected leader within Macquarie and in the industry. She brings deep commercial insight, a strong customer mindset and a collaborative leadership style that aligns with our culture and our growth ambitions,” Tudehope added.
“The Board and I are delighted to appoint her as Group Executive for the next phase of our journey.”
Clifton added: “She understands our customers deeply, knows the business intimately and has my full confidence. I look forward to supporting her through the handover and continuing my involvement with the Group through the Macquarie Technology Operations Board.”
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