Ahead of IPOs, new-age firms look to fill leadership roles in critical areas

IPO-bound new-age companies are beefing up their top decks by hiring seasoned professionals in critical leadership roles, to navigate them through the complexities to list and operate as publicly traded entities.

Companies including Captain Fresh, Lenskart, Flipkart, Zetwerk, InCred, Infra.market, Physics Wallah and DevX that are eyeing a public listing in the near or medium term have hired or plan to hire experienced executives in areas such as finance, operations, business, legal, compliance, HR, product, operations, audit and investor relations.

Big bucks are on offer, say search firms: the cash component in salary packages range between Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 3.0 crore for such roles, with a strong upside in terms of long-term incentives, including stock options.

“The demand for CFOs has surged, especially as late-stage startups re-pivot IPO plans from the US to India. Such startups are attracting top talent 18-24 months early, offering competitive ESOPs and ensuring a clear path to public listing,” said Rohit Srivastava, senior partner at Longhouse. “Some emerging roles like chief AI officer and chief growth officer are expected to become pivotal in Indian startups, as these roles are instrumental in shaping innovation, operational efficiency global/domestic go-to-market strategies,” he added.

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