A seminar on IPO on the Warsaw Stock Exchange was held in Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kiev on April 9. The seminar was jointly organized by law firm DLA Piper and the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

First of all, the event was interesting to Ukrainian companies that are planning to raise additional funds through IPO on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in the near future. During the seminar, speakers told about the steps to be taken in order to enter the WSE, as well as what benefits and bonuses a company will obtain together with the status of the public company. Nicholas Kowalski, Director of Investor Relations of the Ukrainian company “Astarte”, which has already carried out an IPO on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, in his speech shared the successful experience of IPO with other Ukrainian companies.

Participants also received a complete picture of the role of legal adviser, investment bank and accounting firm in the IPO. Audit side at the seminar was presented by Baker Tilly Ukraine. Head of Education Centre Ilia Agladze made a speech: “Audit companies in preparation for the IPO: complexities and solutions.” In his presentation Ilia focused on the fact that the main points on which companies should pay attention are the timing of the preparation and audit of accounts while stock floatation, as well as the skill level of personnel of the company, which deals with reporting and communicate with the auditor. “When going to the Warsaw Stock Exchange, companies must prepare financial statements for the past three years. Accordingly, the auditor gives an opinion on the three-year financial statements. Important elements for smooth audit is the timely beginning of communication with the auditor, as well as investment in professional development of staff of the financial department of the company “– notes Agladze.

Founded in 1991, the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) for the 18 years of its existence has become a leader in the central-eastern Europe, and currently is the largest regional exchange in terms of volume of trades and market capitalization, as well as one of the most dynamic IPO markets in the region. WSE has established itself as the best place to raise capital not only for local but also foreign companies, some of whom are Ukrainian companies – the Ukrainian agricultural holdings Astarta and Kernel Group, a highly valued by investors in the period before and after the IPO. Additional Information: http://www.gpw.pl/index.asp