OFX (company)

OFX Limited

Type	Public
Traded as	ASX: OFX
Industry	Financial Services Foreign Exchange
Predecessor	OzForex
Founded	1998, Sydney, Australia
Headquarters	Sydney, Australia
Key people	Peter Warne (Chairman) Richard Kimber – (CEO and Managing Director)
Operating income	A$14.6 million (2015)
Number of employees	250
Subsidiaries	CanadianForex NZForex UKForex USForex ClearFx
Website	www.ofx.com/en-au/

OFX, previously known as OzForex is an Australian online foreign exchange and payments company with headquarters in Sydney. The company provides money transfer services to Travelex, MoneyGram, Xero, ING Direct, and Macquarie International Money Transfers as well as individuals such as migrants and expatriates and small businesses.

OzForex was started by Matthew Gilmour in 1998 while working as the head of foreign exchange at Bankers Trust.^[1] Controlling interest in the company was sold to Australian investment bank Macquarie Group in 2007 and partial interest to other investors in 2010. It operated a number of different territory specific brands that include UKForex, CanadianForex, NZForex, USForex as well as ClearFX and Tranzfers before a brand consolidation to OFX starting in 2015.

History

Since OzForex was founded in 1998,^[2] it has grown from being an Australian-based foreign exchange information website to a specialist international payments service provider with a strong presence in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States and countries in Europe and the Asia Pacific.

Matthew Gilmour launched the company in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. In 2001 the company launched its first online money transfer facility.^[2] In 2003, the company launched a New Zealand specific brand called NZForex and a general brand called Tranzfers.com.^[3] That year it also obtained an Australian Financial Services License, AFSL.^[4] In 2003, the company launched the UKForex brand in London.^[5]

In 2004 Matt sold part of OzForex to Gary Lord an ex BT colleague and in 2005 sold again so that both were equal shareholders and they became Joint MD's

In 2007, Macquarie Bank purchased 51% of OFX and Neil Helm became CEO^[6][7][8] That same year it also launched a Canadian brand called CanadianForex in Toronto, Canada.^[9]

In 2009, OFX began offering a platform for international money transfers through ING Direct.^[10]

In 2010, it launched the brand ClearFX.^[11] The same year the group received minority growth investment from Accel Partners and The Carlyle Group. Representatives from both Accel Partners and Carlyle serve on the OFX Board of Directors. The Company's founders and Macquarie Private Wealth, which is part of Macquarie Group, together retained significant ownership of OFX, with Neil Helm continuing as CEO.^[12]

In 2012, the Company launched a Travel Card and opened an office in San Francisco using the USForex brand. It established an international payment solution with Travelex in the UK.^[13]

In 2013, OFX signed a partnership with global money transfer service MoneyGram in the UK, providing an account-to-account service through a white label arrangement.^[14] On 11 October 2013 OFX under the trading name OzForex Group Limited publicly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange under the code "OFX".^[15]

In 2015, investors were informed of the appointment of former ANZ Banking Group executive Richard Kimber as CEO and Managing Director of OFX, replacing Neil Helm who led the company to its $480 million initial public offering in 2013.In August 2015, OFX announced a global rebranding to commence in Australia in late 2015.^[16]

In November 2015, OFX received an unsolicited "non-binding indicative proposal" from Western Union to acquire 100% of OFX however in February 2016 discussions were discontinued.

In December 2015, OFX unveiled the new brand and OFX.com^[17] in Australia. "This was the first step in a program that will see the Group’s seven regional brands consolidated into a single global brand".^[18]

Regulations

Australia

OzForex Limited (ABN 65 092-375-703), a wholly owned subsidiary of OzForex Group Limited (ABN 12 165-602-273) has an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) and is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to deal and give advice in foreign exchange and derivatives.^[19]

USA

USForex, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of OzForex Limited, is registered as a Money Services Business at a federal level with Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), a bureau of the United States Department of Treasury. In addition, USForex is licensed in a number of U.S. States by the relevant State Banking Department(s) as a Money Transmitter. USForex is licensed as a Money Transmitter by the Banking Dept. of the State of NY.

UK

UKForex Limited (registered in England and Wales under company number 04631395) is a wholly owned subsidiary of OzForex Limited. UKForex is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as an Authorised Payment Institution (Firm Reference Number: 521566) and by HM Revenue & Customs under the Money Laundering Regulations 2003 as a Money Service Businesses with registration number 12219180.^[20]

New Zealand

NZForex Limited (CN: 2514293) is a wholly owned subsidiary of OzForex Limited and is registered as a financial service provider under the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act 2008.

Canada

CanadianForex Limited (CN: 674939-9) is a wholly owned subsidiary of OzForex Limited. CanadianForex is a Money Services Business as defined in the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLATF Act) and as such is regulated by FINTRAC with registration number M08560392^[21]

See also

• List of foreign exchange companies

References