Chief Financial Officer - IPO Readiness - Retail - CA

Position Overview

We are seeking an executive-level Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to lead corporate finance operations, direct capital management, and guide the business through its Initial Public Offering (IPO) readiness and public listing journey.

Based full-time at our corporate headquarters in Bengaluru, the CFO will serve as a strategic co-pilot to the CEO and Board. You will take full ownership of IPO structuring, build public-market financial governance, manage capital allocation across expanding omnichannel retail networks (D2C, offline store networks, modern trade), and scale the central finance organization to comply with mainboard listing standards.

Key Responsibilities

1. IPO Strategy, Readiness & Public Market Execution

- IPO Roadmap & Steering: Lead the end-to-end IPO readiness across an 18-24 month timeline, serving as the primary anchor for the IPO steering committee to align internal stakeholders for a mainboard public listing.

- Regulatory & DRHP Ownership: Direct the restatement, reconciliation, and audit of 3+ years of financial statements under Ind AS for inclusion in the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP). Oversee response preparation for SEBI queries and stock exchange requirements.

- Investment Banker & Advisor Selection: Appoint, manage, and coordinate Book Running Lead Managers (BRLMs), syndicate bankers, statutory auditors, pre-IPO legal counsels, and registrar management teams.

- Cap Table & Corporate Structuring: Manage cap-table optimization, resolve pre-IPO investor lock-ins, structure ESOP disclosures, handle promoter classifications, and optimize valuation models ahead of filing.

- Equity Story & Investor Relations: Articulate the company's financial narrative, unit economics, and capital efficiency during institutional investor roadshows (QIBs) and build analyst coverage frameworks.

2. Strategic Financial Leadership & Capital Allocation

- Develop and execute long-term financial strategies to support national retail expansion, new product categories, and scaling omni-channel footprint.

- Oversee corporate fundraising (equity/debt), treasury management, banking relationships, and working capital optimization across complex supply chain and inventory cycles.

- Evaluate expansion economics, store-level payback models, M&A opportunities, and strategic investments to drive profitable growth.

3. Public-Company Governance, Audits & Controls

- Establish robust Internal Financial Controls (IFC), segregation of duties, and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX)-equivalent governance across corporate and retail operations.

- Upgrade financial systems and reporting to ensure full compliance with Ind AS (including Ind AS 115 revenue recognition, Ind AS 116 lease accounting for physical store networks, and Ind AS 108 segment reporting).

- Ensure total adherence to SEBI (LODR) guidelines, insider trading codes, corporate disclosures, board committee structures, and statutory compliance.

4. On-Site Executive Leadership & Team Building

- Lead, mentor, and build the central finance, taxation, internal audit, secretarial, and FP&A teams on-site at the Bengaluru office on a daily basis.

- Maintain close, cross-functional collaboration with supply chain, warehouse management, procurement, and retail store leadership.

Qualifications & Requirements

- Work Setup: 100% Work from Office (Kanakapura Main Road, Bengaluru).

- Education: Qualified Chartered Accountant (CA) or MBA in Finance from a premier institution.

- Total Experience: 15-20+ years of progressive corporate finance leadership experience.

- IPO Track Record: Mandatory prior hands-on experience leading or serving as a senior finance driver through an IPO process (mainboard listing via SEBI DRHP filing, public listing execution, or operating within a newly listed public enterprise in India).

- Industry Experience: Direct finance leadership background in fast-scaling D2C, retail store chains, consumer technology/FMCG, or high-growth e-commerce platforms. Deep expertise in working capital and inventory-intensive business models.

- Technical Expertise: Advanced command over Ind AS, SEBI LODR rules, Companies Act 2013, capital market transactions, debt structuring, and direct/indirect tax governance (GST).

- Leadership & Drive: Exceptional in-person executive presence, sharp negotiation capabilities with investment banks, analytical rigor, and strong investor pitch articulation.