OANDA Tabs Gavin Ward And Louis Cooper to Head Greater China

OANDA, a leading broker specializing in a multitude of Forex trading services has announced the twin appointments of Gavin Ward as the new Head of Greater China, and Louis Cooper as the company’s Managing Director in Australia, according to an OANDA company statement.

Senior Management Appointments Aim to Optimize Growth in Asia-Pacific

OANDA maintains a truly global influence across the forex industry, which has been keen to increase its exposure across Asian and the Antipodean markets in recent years. Regarding the new appointments, the two veterans will rely on nearly twenty years of financial experience, whose new duties entail the collective oversight and management of OANDA’s robust forex product suite across Greater China, Australia and New Zealand.

According to Ed Eger, President and CEO, OANDA Corporation, in a recent statement on the appointment, “Recent studies show a small decline of forex traders in most of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries, but OANDA is bucking the industry. We have shown strong growth in APAC year-over-year and continue to support our customers in these important markets. Given their expertise and insights, I know both Gavin and Louis will elevate our profile, our forex and CFD offerings, and help to define our fxTrade platform as the best choice for investors in each region.”

Indeed, the Chinese and Antipodean markets have been a boon or bust market in recent years, owing to a variety of factors. Most recently, New Zealand has taken measures to help foster greater transparency across forex and financial reporting, which could ultimately serve as a greater incentive towards market growth.

Gavin Ward to Head Greater China Operations

To this end, Gavin Ward represents the ideal candidate to help manage OANDA’s interests in these regions, having built a vast resume across the financial services industry in both Europe and Asia previously. Ward will be based out of OANDA’s Asia-Pacific office, located in the global forex hub of Singapore – this close proximity to Greater China will ensure he is strategically placed to handle and culture OANDA’s growth and exposure in the region. Ward has previously worked at CMC Markets as the Director of Asia, along with serving as a member of the company’s Global General Executive Committee.

"I'm excited by the opportunity of this brand new role with OANDA as we have the tools, resources and the mindset to offer a better and fairer trading experience to clients in the Greater China region than any alternatives available. I believe the potential for OANDA is huge by offering a product specifically designed to help our clients trade smarter, spearheaded by outstanding educational tools and resources, and the innovative features of fxTrade, fxTrade Mobile and our MT4 solution," added Ward, with regards to the new appointment.

Louis Cooper Tasked with Oversight of Australia

In addition, OANDA will also benefit from the recruitment of Louis Cooper, who also will be joining the company after working at CMC Markets – Cooper has served as the Managing Director in Australia and New Zealand during his tenure at CMC Markets. Cooper has distinguished himself as a regional asset, namely after the abrupt growth in the broker’s market share under his tutelage, forging CMC Markets into a leading provider for CFDs.

“We have a significant existing client base in Australia of active CFD and forex traders enjoying our award-winning platform, with superior execution speed and world class Analytics tools. With innovative offerings such as auto trading and access to multi-asset class execution on MT4, I look forward to officially opening our Sydney office later this year to further support our valued clients and contributing to the company’s continued growth in the region,” noted Cooper.