Essential internal hires before going public include:
- Chief Financial Officer (CFO):
- A CFO with public company experience is crucial for navigating financial reporting and investor relations. For non-US companies, hiring a US-based CFO with experience on Wall Street can be important when looking to list in the United States.
- General Counsel:
- Going public puts the company under a microscope of regulatory, investor, employee, and public scrutiny.
- Investor Relations Officer (IRO):
- We recommend hiring an IRO approximately one year ahead of the IPO to manage a syndicate of analysts.
- Audit Committee Chair:
- This key Board member oversees the production and auditing of financial statements and ensures the integrity of the company’s public disclosures.
Here are a couple of things to think about:
- As you build your senior management team, adopt best practices like running background checks to avoid unwelcome surprises later.
- Executives, especially those who will be working directly with public investors, should be able to speak knowledgeably about business trends, tell the company’s story with conviction, and, of course, deliver financial results to investors.