Computershare

Computershare Limited

Type	Public company (ASX: CPU)
Industry	Provider of specialized financial services
Founded	1978
Headquarters	Yarra Falls/Abbotsford, Australia
Key people	Stuart Crosby CEO & President, Mark Davis Group Regional Director - Australasia
Services	Services include transfer agency and share registration, employee equity plans, proxy solicitation, stakeholder communications, corporate trust services, tax voucher solutions, bankruptcy administration and a range of other diversified financial and governance services.
Owner(s)	Publicly listed & traded company
Employees	10,000+
Website	Computershare

Founded in Melbourne, Australia in 1978, Computershare Limited (ASX: CPU) has grown (largely through overseas acquisitions) to become the world's largest share registry business.^{[citation needed]} It is a leading financial market services and technology provider, employing over 10,000 people, providing services in 20 countries and to more than 30,000 clients and 100 million investors. Computershare specialises in the corporate trust, stock transfer and employee share plan services for thousands of issuers and millions of securityholder accounts.

In 1997, the Australian-based Computershare expanded its registry business to include financial markets in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.^[1] In subsequent years, it expanded its business into Ireland, South Africa, and Hong Kong. Since the year 2000, Computershare has acquired a role in the American and Canadian markets, in particular, through the acquisition of the stock transfer sectors of Harris Bank in the US and Montreal Trust in Canada. In 2004, it expanded into the German market by purchasing Pepper Global, formerly Pepper Technologies AG. Since 2004, Computershare has acquired registry companies in the emerging markets of Russia and India.^[1] For the most part, the entry into these new markets was accomplished through financial acquisitions of existing registrar corporations.

The company currently holds offices in 20 countries, including: Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada, the Channel Islands, South Africa, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Germany, and Denmark.

Computershare's UK operations are the result of the company's 1997 acquisition of the Royal Bank of Scotland's registrar department, which in turn had previously been bought from NatWest (this earlier acquisition had occurred some years prior to the Royal Bank of Scotland Group's 2000 takeover of NatWest).^[2]

Main business

Computershare primarily provides stock registration and transfer services to companies listed on stock markets, but also offers other facilities such as technology services for stock exchanges, investor services for shareholders and employee share plan management.

With the 2005 acquisition of Equiserve, the largest transfer agent in the US, Computershare has become one of the largest share registry providers in the US.

As part of a strategy of concentrating on its core businesses, on November 21, 2005 Computershare announced its intention to sell its Markets Technology business to long-time rival OMX of Sweden. The transaction closed on January 31, 2006. Under the deal, OMX acquires the X-stream and Horizon trading systems, and the Equator depository system. In addition to a cash payment, the transaction also provides Computershare with enhanced access to the Nordic market for its share registry and shareholder communications services.

Computershare is publicly traded on the Australian Stock Exchange under the symbol CPU. In North America, CPU ADRs trade under the symbols CMSQF and CMSQY.

Computershare has been rated the UK's No.1 registrar each year since 2008 by the independent Capital Analytics Survey of Registrars.

New businesses

In July 2007, Computershare acquired Datacare Software Group and its products GCM and Boardworks. Currently known as Computershare Governance Services and its main product GEMS.

In February 2008, Computershare announced a cash takeover offer for Australian mailhouse group QM Technologies Limited.

In September 2008, Computershare bought Lichfield based Childcare Voucher Services business called Busy Bees. The name has been re-branded to Computershare Voucher Services or CVS. Julian Foster is the current Managing Director for CVS.

In February 2010, Computershare acquired HBOS Employee Equity Solutions from Lloyds Banking Group for a sum of around £40m. The acquisition means Computershare is the global leader in employee plans administration, providing a full range of employee share plan administration solutions in more than 130 countries for over 500 clients, covering around 1.4 million employee shareholders.

Computershare also runs The Deposit Protection Service. There are other providers in the market but Computershare's service is the only Government approved custodial scheme, and is free to use.

Philanthropy

Computershare plays an active role in several charitable causes. Specifically, its Change a Life charity raises funds that are invested in some of the world's most poverty-striken regions. Essentially, the goal is to help these countries achieve sustainable futures. Developing countries such a Chad, Ethiopia, Laos, Sri Lanka and Cambodia have witnessed positive initiatives funded by the charitable actions of Computershare. The funds collected from the Computershare community are managed by organizations such as World Vision in Chad and Ethiopia and CARE in Laos. Furthermore, in Sri Lanka, Computershare has developed the Come-share project which is geared towards aiding disadvantaged populations of youth by means of school funding and the donation of second-hand computers. Finally, in Cambodia, Computershare, through a joint venture with the Australian Cambodian Foundation, has donated large amounts of funds to the Sunrise Children's Village as the latter has provided the numerous "lost" children with food, shelter and education. The Computershare Change a Life Foundation accepts donations from Computershare employees, shareholders and "friends" of Computershare.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Computershare - About Computershare - Company History
2. ^ ASX announcement "Transfer of Royal Bank of Scotland`s Registration Business"

External links

• Computershare website
• Computershare news
• Computershare and Change a Life – charity website
• Computershare Voucher Services
• The Deposit Protection Service
• Georgeson