Oanda Hires Ex-Blackberry Executive as CTO

Oanda, a Toronto-based provider of online foreign exchange trading, hired former Blackberry executive Graeme Whittington as the company’s Chief Technology Officer.

In his new role, Whittington is responsible for spearheading the development and delivery of Oanda’s products and services, according to today’s announcement. Oanda, an online broker with offices in Toronto, London and Asia Pacific, operates an Internet-based FX trading platform utilized by a mix of retail and institutional investors. The company also provides currency information services to individuals, large corporations and portfolio managers.

“Graeme boasts a world-class track record in designing and developing highly scalable software products and services,” said K Duker, CEO, Oanda Corporation, in the release. “Graeme’s proven strengths in leadership and quality execution are in strong alignment with Oanda's mission to be a technology leader and the most trusted broker in forex and CFD trading services.”

Whittington has joined Oanda directly from Blackberry, the struggling smart phone maker, which last week announced layoffs of 4,500 workers and up to a $960 million write-down for losses of unsold inventory on its Z-10 phone, which was meant to compete in the touch-screen market with iPhones, iPad and Android devices. A spokeperson for Oanda said that Whittington was not part of those layoffs.

According to Oanda's release, Whittington held a variety of senior positions including roles in product management and software with a focus on infrastructure systems. He also brings with him global market experience, including work with telecom regulatory bodies, during his tenure with the Canadian-based mobile device maker. Prior to his tenure at BlackBerry, Whittington was part of IBM Canada’s consulting.

"Oanda is a highly-respected, global financial technology company with a solid track record of innovation and transparency in the products and services it provides; I am honored to join the team,” commented Whittington in the release. “Oanda was built on a true foundation of technological engineering excellence, and my aim in this role is to help to continue a legacy of delivering industry-leading desktop and mobile trading platforms that delights our clients.”

Last March, Oanda announced mobile trading applications for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. OANDA’s fxTrade mobile app allows users to quickly monitor forex market activity as well as manage positions, control risk, and monitor account status and profitability while on the go.

Ivy is Editor-at-Large for Advanced Trading and Wall Street & Technology. Ivy is responsible for writing in-depth feature articles, daily blogs and news articles with a focus on automated trading in the capital markets. As an industry expert, Ivy has reported on a myriad ... View Full Bio