From Audit to Exit
About this Event
Join us for our Q3 event of 2026: From Audit to Exit
Every business owner has a number in their head for what their company is worth. Then a Quality of Earnings process, or a first-ever outside audit, happens, and that number gets tested. Sometimes it holds. Often it doesn't.
This panel follows that process start to finish: what an audit actually finds and why, how a CFO rebuilds and defends the number once it's under scrutiny, and what happens to that number once it becomes real money in an owner's hands. It's the full arc — audit to exit — told by three people who each sit at a different point on it.
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What you'll hear:
- Why most privately held companies in the $10M–$30M range have never been through an outside audit and what surprises them when they finally are
- What actually causes the gap between a seller's number and a buyer's number
- A real example of an EBITDA add-back that seemed fair to the seller and got pushed back hard by the buyer
- Where "cash-free, debt-free" quietly costs sellers money at the closing table
- When an owner should actually bring in a wealth advisor and why "after the LOI is signed" is almost always too late
- The red flags each panelist watches for that tell them a deal, or an owner, isn't ready
Meet your panelists:
Zeeshan Khan leads Weaver's Oklahoma City office and audit practice, with 20 years of experience managing financial statement audits, SEC filings, and merger-related reviews for public and private companies. He brings the external auditor's lens — what audit-level scrutiny finds that founder-run books usually don't catch on their own.
David Mayfield oversees client accounting services at Arledge, including outsourced bookkeeping, controllership, and fractional CFO work. Over 30 years in public accounting, private industry, and as a small business owner himself, he's taken companies through many sell-side transactions. David is the one who's actually in the books when a QoE process starts turning over rocks.
Eric Sullivan is a Managing Director at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, where he works with high-net-worth clients on goals-based planning and investment strategy. His lens is personal, not corporate — estate structuring, tax planning, and liquidity, starting well before a deal closes and continuing long after.
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Who should attend: Private equity leaders, investment bankers, business owners actively acquiring or considering selling, entrepreneurs expanding their network, strategic business advisors & service providers throughout the M&A process.
What to expect: Enjoy meaningful networking time with delicious bites & sips from Later Bye. Panel starts at 5 pm.
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Our Business Sponsor
This event is proudly sponsored by Auris®. Auris® is the payroll and HR partner built for small and medium-sized businesses who can’t afford to get it wrong. Trusted by over 50,000 businesses nationwide, Auris pairs easy-to-use technology with real human service to give leaders the confidence that every detail is done right – so they can focus on growing their people and their business. Acquired by Acrisure in 2025, Auris, formerly Heartland Payroll, is accelerating its mission to help small businesses thrive.
Agenda
🕑: 04:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Pre-Event Networking
🕑: 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM
Welcome & Panel
🕑: 06:00 PM - 06:30 PM
Final Networking
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
