The Role Of FP&A In Being IPO Ready With Jeffrey Bernstein

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, hosts Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Snyder sit down with Jeffrey Bernstein to explore how finance leaders can better communicate financial insights and influence decision-making across an organization. The conversation focuses on the gap between technical financial knowledge and the ability to clearly explain what the numbers actually mean to non-finance stakeholders.

Jeffrey is a Senior Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets Advisory at Riveron, a leading advisor to the Office of the CFO and Private Equity. Early in his career, Jeff was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, where he helped execute IPOs in the technology sector for over a decade. Afterward, he spent more than 15 years as a portfolio manager investing in disruptive public and private companies. For the last eight years, Jeff has served as a trusted strategic advisor to pre-IPO companies, guiding them toward successful public exits.

Expect to Learn:

1. Why finance professionals play a crucial role in the IPO process
2. How to prepare a company financially for a successful public listing
3. The importance of building financial trust with public investors
4. How to evaluate the readiness of your financial systems and team for the IPO process

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:

1. “The biggest change from private to public is transitioning from over-promising to under-promising and over-delivering.”- Jeff Bernstein
2. “Financial integrity isn’t just about the numbers; it’s about being transparent, avoiding gimmicks, and sticking to metrics that have real meaning.”- Jeff Bernstein

Jeff shares valuable insights on the complexities of going public, managing quarterly earnings, and maintaining investor trust. He also discusses how FP&A teams can help steer the company through financial reporting, forecasting, and strategic decision-making post-IPO.

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Follow Jeffrey:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-bernstein-498a23158/

Company - https://www.linkedin.com/company/riveron/

Website - https://riveron.com/

Follow Glenn:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenntsnyder/

Earn Your CPE Credit

For CPE credit please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, and answer a few questions and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.

In Today’s Episode

[01:42] – Meet Jeff Bernstein

[04:58] – Transitioning to Public Company

[08:36] – The Role of FP&A in IPO

[12:44] – Investor Trust and Forecasting

[17:10] – Financial Integrity

[21:58] – Preparing for the IPO Process

[26:35] – Stress-Testing Forecasts

[30:42] – Earning Investor Trust

[34:18] – Organizational Behaviour Shift

[37:33] – Key to Success in IPOs and SPACs