How to Prep a CEO For the Scrutiny of Life Post-IPO: ECM Watch

When a private company prepares to go public, it's not just financials that face scrutiny—CEOs must adapt to intense visibility.

In this article, Bloomberg highlights the dual challenge faced by private companies preparing for IPOs: ensuring financial transparency while adapting executive leadership to the demands of public exposure.

Specialized coaches help executives develop the skills needed to thrive as public company leaders, offering boot camps, mock media interviews, and one-on-one coaching. Euronext’s six-month IPOready program, led by Mathieu Caron, aims to “demystify the perception about the complexity and the burden and the cost of the IPO process.” The initiative includes webinars, workshops, and culminates in a networking trip to Portugal. 

Peter Lambie, Director at Sodali & Co, reframes the IPO moment as a psychological shift: “The biggest thing an executive has to learn is the mindset of being happy to be scrutinized.” He calls the IPO “the point of maximum vulnerability for a company,” especially for founders who are “suddenly opening yourself up to a whole new world of scrutiny.” Sodali & Co offers mock media interviews and press conferences as part of their coaching to prepare CEOs to build a story around their company. This involves teaching CEOs to “excite someone with a narrative, ”turning exposure into strategic storytelling".

Bloomberg Terminal users can access the piece here.