OANDA Europe Names New CEO as FTMO Founders Step into Co-Leadership Roles

Lucian Lauerman has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer of OANDA Europe Limited. The development comes amid wider leadership changes linked to the acquisition process involving FTMO. FTMO founders Otakar Šuffner and Marek Vašíček have taken on co-chief executive roles at OANDA following discussions with Gavin Bambury, who stepped down from the position.

Lauerman's promotion follows a series of senior roles he has held within OANDA. He served as Deputy Chief Operating Officer for over two years before taking the CEO role. Prior to that, he worked as Head of Digital Assets for around two and a half years, focusing on digital asset and crypto-related initiatives. He also spent a little over two years as Head of Data Services.

Earlier in his career, Lauerman worked at Saxo Bank for about seven years, holding senior positions in electronic distribution and API business. Before joining Saxo Bank, he worked at Lloyds Banking Group for a little under three years in eProduct management and director roles.

Meanwhile, OANDA's proprietary trading business, OANDA Prop Trader, is set to be transferred to the FTMO group. The migration began in March this year, and clients moving to FTMO's platform will gain access to its trading infrastructure. Clients who do not migrate will receive refunds where applicable, and some may also receive additional incentives. The transition allows OANDA to focus on its core brokerage operations.

Separately, FTMO has expanded into India, where interest in prop trading has increased since 2023. Several prop trading firms, including FundingPips, The5ers, FundedNext, and Maven, report that India accounts for a significant share of web traffic, particularly among younger traders.