IPO Readiness As a trusted advisor, Protiviti helps companies at all stages of Initial Public Offering readiness, from early planning through post-IPO execution. Preparing to become a public company is time-consuming and complex. It requires strengthening financial reporting, governance, internal controls, risk management and operational discipline to meet public market expectations.As the market continues to change with the current events, companies contemplating an IPO would be wise to prepare for windows of opportunity. Readiness is everything for such a game-changing endeavor, and to optimize chances of success, companies must assess the long-term timeline and be primed to move when circumstances are right. Early preparation helps identify gaps, reduce execution risk and avoid last-minute surprises.Protiviti is the expert in IPO readiness, bringing deep experience helping organizations prepare for the demands of becoming a public company. Our IPO readiness services help companies of all sizes during every step of the process, aligning people, processes, technology and controls to support a successful transition to public company life. After the IPO, we’re here to ensure your company maintains success, meets ongoing regulatory expectations and continues to scale with confidence.Read the Guide Assess long-term strategy to optimize success Survey September 8, 2025 6 min read 2025 Global Finance Trends Survey Finance trends 2025 report outlines CFO priorities, AI adoption in financial services, and finance transformation driving the future of finance. Read more Explore Related Services Pro Briefcase Private Equity Protiviti’s team of Private Equity Consulting professionals provides valuable assistance and guidance to Private Equity firms worldwide as they seek to reinforce, rationalize and/or adapt internal investment and financial operations. Pro Building office M&A Consulting The M&A process is one of the most challenging endeavor a company can undertake. Protiviti’s M&A Consulting solution provides the guidance and expertise needed to navigate every step of the process. Pro Document Consent ESG Identify and address ESG risks across your business while strengthening governance and decision-making. Turn sustainability priorities into measurable actions that drive resilience, performance and long-term value. How We Help Preparing to be a public company is time-consuming and complex. Much of that complexity is due to the numerous legal and technical requirements that must be addressed prior to an IPO. But a substantial—and often overlooked—aspect of IPO Readiness involves transforming organizational functions and processes in many ways. Readiness cannot be achieved at a moment’s notice.Once public, post-IPO companies will need to continue transform critical business functions because there is a different set of requirements and expectations for public companies.Protiviti experts can help you focus on maintaining sound financial reporting, corporate governance and other public company obligations, such as Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) compliance reporting and the adoption of new accounting standards for revenue recognition and leasing.Protiviti provides IPO Readiness and public company transformation services for leading companies worldwide. As a trusted advisor, we assist management with all stages of an initial public offering. This includes:The Public Company Transformation AssessmentPre-IPO activitiesForming a sustainable and ongoing compliance function that fully meets the company’s regulatory requirementsEstablishing a sustainable infrastructure to support anticipated growth and the ongoing reporting and compliance requirements of a public company.Creating and implementing Human Capital Reporting to adhere to recent SEC requirementsImplementing ESG processes and controls. Understand the application of all relevant accounting principles Your IPO Journey Starts Here: Protiviti’s IPO Readiness Assessment Preparing for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) is a major milestone — and Protiviti’s IPO Readiness Assessment is your starting guide to move forward with confidence. This interactive tool delivers a personalized report outlining where your company stands today across key areas like Technical Accounting, Financial Planning, Corporate Governance, Information Technology, Human Resources, and ESG. What sets this assessment apart? Your results are organized by executive roles, providing focused insights tailored to the leaders responsible for each area. You'll not only identify strengths and areas of focus but also gain best practices drawn from Protiviti’s deep experience in Public Company Transformation. Immediately after completing the survey, you’ll receive a downloadable report — and if you're ready to dive deeper, our experts are just an email away at ipo.readiness@protiviti.com. Going public is complex, but with Protiviti, you’re never navigating the journey alone. Start your IPO journey today. Start now Understand the application of all relevant accounting principles Leadership Rob Gould Rob is a Managing Director in the Business Performance Improvement Solution in Protiviti’s Metro New York Region. Rob leads Protiviti’s Global Private Equity Practice and has been providing professional consulting services to corporate clients and their owners for more ... Learn More Charles G. Soranno Charles is a Managing Director in New York with extensive experience in IPOs, technical accounting and SEC reporting, internal control compliance, M&A, external audit and regulatory inquiries, and implementing new accounting pronouncements and disclosures. ... Learn More John Garris John has over 25 years of experience in Public Company Readiness, Technical Accounting, General Accounting, SEC Reporting, and Accounting Operational Improvement. John began his career with Deloitte’s external audit group where he was ranked in the top of his peer group ... Learn More Jeff Meyer Jeff is a Managing Director in the Internal Audit and Financial Advisory group and serves as Protiviti’s west region public company transformation leader. He is an experienced finance and audit professional with over 20 years of experience. Jeff's experience includes ... Learn More What are the critical tasks companies should consider when preparing for IPO? Managing Director and Global Lead for Protiviti IPO Readiness services, Chris Wright, explains the critical tasks companies must address to successfully prepare for life as a public company. He highlights how early focus on financial reporting, governance and internal controls can reduce risk and accelerate readiness. Watch the video to learn how to build a clear IPO roadmap and position your organization to act when the window opens. Featured insights and client stories RESEARCH GUIDE Guide to Public Company Transformation: Frequently Asked Questions 110 min read Initial public offerings (IPOs) often generate a great deal of excitement and can give new luster to company brands. It is easy to forget that IPOs can only thrive in the right business climate – and for organizations that have undertaken the... BLOG Prepare to Function as a Public Company Before the IPO 6 min read The big picture: The U.S. initial public offering (IPO) market may be regaining its footing. Current market conditions mean companies considering an IPO have ample time for infrastructure buildout – arguably the most important phase of the IPO... PODCAST Podcast | Get Ready for Your IPO: Financial Reporting, Cybersecurity, Sustainability and More – with Stephen Alicanti, Kristy Balsanek, Charles Soranno and Andrea Vardaro Thomas 23 min read In this episode of Powerful Insights, we talk about all things around readiness for an initial public offering, or IPO. And spoiler alert, there is a lot to address: accounting, financial reporting, cybersecurity, and even ESG and climate reporting.... CLIENT STORY Insurance Distribution Firm Positions Itself for Successful IPO and Global Expansion with Finance and Technology Transformation 6 min read An award-winning, entrepreneurial insurance distribution and risk management firm serving more than 1.2 million clients was facing multiple challenges as it prepared to launch an initial public offering (IPO). The company was experiencing massive... SURVEY 2025 Global Finance Trends Survey 6 min read Finance trends 2025 report outlines CFO priorities, AI adoption in financial services, and finance transformation driving the future of finance. Previous Article Pagination Next Article Frequently Asked Questions + EXPAND ALL What is IPO readiness? + IPO readiness is the process of preparing an organization to become a public company by strengthening financial reporting, governance, controls, risk management and operational capabilities to meet regulatory and investor expectations. It ensures your business can manage the legal, technical and operational demands of a successful initial public offering. What is the roadmap for IPO readiness? + A roadmap for IPO readiness typically begins with a comprehensive readiness assessment, followed by prioritized actions to close gaps in core areas such as financial reporting, internal controls, corporate governance, IT systems and compliance. Developing this structured plan helps guide your company from its current state toward public company requirements and sustainable post-IPO performance. How do you make a company IPO ready? + To make a company IPO ready, start with an IPO readiness assessment to identify strengths and gaps, then implement improvements in financial reporting, forecasting, efficient financial close processes, corporate governance, compliance (including SOX) and scalable infrastructure. Building a strong team and engaging experienced advisors further supports readiness and reduces execution risk. What are common IPO mistakes? + Common pitfalls in the IPO readiness process include failing to assemble the right team with IPO experience, underestimating the time and effort required, overlooking critical gaps in processes or systems, and not balancing readiness work with day-to-day operations. Addressing these issues early increases the likelihood of a smoother transition to public company life. What is an IPO readiness gap analysis? + An IPO readiness gap analysis is an evaluation that compares your company’s existing capabilities against the requirements needed to operate as a public company. It identifies areas needing improvement—such as reporting, controls, systems or staffing—so you can develop a targeted action plan to close those gaps before pursuing an IPO.
