SAO PAULO, May 19 (Reuters) - Helicopter services

provider OHI has hired former Brazilian airline Azul's

finance chief Alex Malfitani as chief financial

officer, it said on Tuesday, as it prepares for a potential

initial public offering (IPO).

* OHI provides offshore energy services to oil and gas

majors such as Petrobras and Exxon Mobil ( XOM ).

* Brazil is OHI's largest market.

* Malfitani will replace Ivan Coyard, who served as CFO for

the past five years.

* Chief Executive Jeremy Akel noted in an interview with

Reuters that OHI has been preparing for a U.S. IPO.

* The firm could tap markets as early as this year "if

everything lines up," he said, though no timeline is firm.

* OHI has expanded rapidly, growing revenue nearly fivefold

over the past six years, Akel said.

* "We have high ambitions to be a $1 billion company in the

next three years," he added.

* Akel said Malfitani's experience in capital markets and

public firms would help OHI scale and prepare for listing.

* OHI is betting on increased investor interest in the

energy sector amid the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, which has

boosted oil supply security concerns and improved Brazil's

appeal as a lower-risk destination for capital.

* Higher global oil prices are more of an opportunity than a

risk for the company, Akel said, as OHI's fuel is typically paid

for by its customers.

* OHI is backed by private equity firm Stirling Square.