From Private to Public: The CFO as the IPO Architect
If you expect to be a public-company CFO, the IPO isn’t a milestone, it’s a transformation of your role, your systems, and your judgment.
The IPO Forum is a closed-door working session designed for late- and growth-stage CFOs preparing for the transition from private to public markets. This is not a retrospective or a high-level panel. It’s a decision-focused room built to help you pressure-test your readiness, avoid predictable mistakes, and understand what actually changes once you cross the line.
On April 23rd, a curated group of CFOs will come together at Convene | 101 Greenwich for a half-day, highly interactive session focused on one core question:
What does it really take to operate as a public-company CFO — before and after the IPO?
You’ll hear unfiltered perspectives from CFOs who have recently gone through the process, then move into structured peer discussions designed to help you:
• Identify what actually matters in IPO readiness (vs. what’s noise)
• Pressure-test whether you’re building for optionality or timing the market
• Understand how the CFO role fundamentally changes post-listing
• Surface the gaps you’ll regret if the window opens sooner than expected
Every session is designed to produce practical outputs, not just insights, so you leave with clearer priorities, sharper judgment, and a more concrete path forward.
Attendance is intentionally limited to ensure high signal, relevant peer exchange, and candid discussion.
Mainstage Session: “If I Had to Do My IPO Again…”
Jeremy Fox-Geen (CFO, Circle) & Macrina Kgil (CFO @ Figure)
Most IPO advice is polished in hindsight. This session isn’t.
In a candid, operator-to-operator conversation, Jeremy Fox-Geen and Macrina Kgil break down what actually happens during the IPO process, including the decisions that didn’t age well.
This session will focus on hard-earned lessons and pattern recognition, including:
• The most common, and costly, mistakes CFOs make heading into an IPO
• What bankers, advisors, and markets don’t tell you upfront
• Where IPO timelines consistently slip (and why)
• First earnings call missteps and how to avoid them
• What they would do differently if starting again
• Unexpected positives and what proved more valuable than anticipated
The discussion will be shaped in part by pre-submitted attendee questions, ensuring the conversation targets the real concerns in the room.
Small Group Discussion: Getting Ready to Go Public
For CFOs building toward IPO optionality
Are you truly IPO-ready? Or waiting for the window?
This small group session focuses on what actually matters before an IPO: financial discipline, systems, governance, and team readiness. You’ll benchmark against peers and identify the gaps you’ll regret if the market opens sooner than expected.
Small Group Discussion: Beyond Listing Day
For CFOs nearing IPO or within ~12–24 months
IPO is a starting point, not a finish line.
This discussion focuses on how the CFO role changes post-IPO, from operator to market-facing leader, and how to manage investor expectations, board dynamics, and long-term value under public scrutiny.
