Confident decisions for CFOs under pressure
Experience-led mentoring, coaching and senior advisory support for Multi-Academy Trust CFOs and senior finance leaders working in complex, high-accountability environments.Trust Balance exists to support finance leaders who carry significant responsibility, operate under constant scrutiny, and are often expected to navigate difficult decisions alone.This is not consultancy delivered by junior teams or generic frameworks.
Support is provided directly by a senior CFO with lived executive experience — including leading through regulatory challenge and organisational change.
The challenge
Senior finance roles in education are demanding, exposed and frequently isolating.CFOs are expected to:Exercise sound judgement under pressureProvide assurance to boards and regulatorsBalance educational values with financial realityLead teams through growth, change and constraintRemain calm, credible and decisive when the stakes are highYet there are few safe spaces to test thinking, sense-check decisions, or talk openly about what is really happening.Trust Balance exists to fill that gap,
What we provide
Trust Balance offers confidential, experience-based support that strengthens judgement, confidence and leadership capability.The focus is not on telling you what to do, but on helping you think clearly, weigh options, and act with confidence.Support typically includes: Structured mentoring and reflective challengeExecutive coaching focused on role credibility and presenceSupport ahead of key moments: board meetings, audits, inspections, restructures or difficult conversationsThe aim is simple: better decisions, taken with confidence, and owned by you.
Is this for me?
Who this is for?
Trust Balance works best with:CFOs and senior finance leaders in Multi-Academy TrustsLeaders who value professional judgement and reflectionExecutives who want challenge, not reassuranceBoards and CEOs seeking to support and retain strong finance leadership
Is this for me?
Who this is not for?
Who this is not forTrust Balance is not designed for:Transactional consultancy or outsourced deliveryVolume-based support modelsOrganisations seeking generic frameworks or junior delivery teams
How it works
1. Initial confidential conversation
A focused discussion to understand context, pressures and what good looks like.
2. Agreed focus and cadence
Typically monthly or fortnightly sessions, with flexibility for ad-hoc support when needed.
3. Structured but pragmatic sessions
Conversations centred on live issues, decision-making, stakeholder dynamics and assurance.
4. Practical outcomes
Clear next steps, improved narrative, and greater confidence in judgement — not dependency on external advisers.
Areas of support
Mentoring and executive coaching
For CFOs and senior finance leaders who want confidential challenge and perspective from someone who understands the role from the inside.Best suited to:Newly appointed or recently promoted CFOsExperienced CFOs navigating increased complexityLeaders seeking greater confidence and executive presenceFocus areas often include decision-making, board relationships, role boundaries, and leadership confidence.
Areas of support
Senior advisory support
For moments where the stakes are high and independent, experience-based thinking is needed.Common scenarios include:Audit and assurance concernsFinancial recovery or regulatory challengeRapid growth or organisational changeTension between executive, board and operational prioritiesSupport is proportionate, discreet and focused on strengthening internal leadership rather than replacing it.
Ready to start?
Strong organisations are built through everyday leadership.
Culture, leadership and team effectiveness
For finance leaders responsible not just for numbers, but for people, culture and standards.This work often focuses on:Establishing clarity of roles and expectationsBuilding effective senior finance teamsManaging performance and difficult conversationsCreating confidence and credibility across the organisation
Project support is offered where experience and judgement are critical.
Project and transition support
Short-term, focused support during periods of transition or pressure.Examples include:Stepping into a new roleInterim leadership gapsSignificant system or structural changePreparing for critical governance or regulatory milestones
Why Trust Balance
Trust Balance is grounded in real executive accountability.Support is provided by an FCA-qualified CFO with extensive experience of:Board-level decision-makingGovernance and assuranceRegulatory scrutinyLeading through organisational challengeThe work is discreet, proportionate and shaped around the realities of senior leadership in education.
Outcomes clients value
While every engagement is different, clients commonly report:Greater clarity and confidence in decision-makingStronger, more credible board and wider stakeholder relationshipsImproved leadership presence and authorityReduced sense of professional isolationClearer thinking during periods of pressure or uncertaintyGreater confidence challenging change, the one true constant in the finance function
Start with a conversation
The first step is a confidential, no-obligation conversation.This is not a sales call.
It is an opportunity to talk through what is happening, what you need, and whether Trust Balance is the right fit.
Meet the team
Gary Mizler - FCA
Gary is a Chartered Accountant with cross-sector experience spanning education, NHS, and private enterprise. He has held strategic and regulatory finance roles across the public sector and has served as a CFO for over five years, including leading a Trust successfully out of a Financial Notice to Improve (FNTI).Prior to this, Gary was Finance Director for a multi-franchise motor dealership and trained as an auditor with UHY, where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant.
MATs by numbers
4.7M Pupils
About 4.7 million pupils attended academies within multi-academy trusts (MATs) in England at January 2025
520k staff
About 520,000 full‑time‑equivalent staff were employed across MAT academies in England during 2022/23
9,134 Acadamies
There were 9,134 academies in MATs with more than one academy in England as at 31 July 2023
Contact and updates
If you would like occasional insights on leadership, governance and finance in the MAT sector, you can also subscribe to the Trust Balance newsletter.
