Ending professional islolation for CFOs.
Trust Balance provides experience-led mentoring, coaching and advisory support for senior leaders operating in complex, high-accountability environments.This is not traditional consultancy. There are no generic frameworks, no volume delivery model and no junior hand-offs. The work is grounded in lived experience of executive leadership, board accountability and the practical realities of decision-making under pressure.Much of the value comes from space — space to think clearly, test judgement and talk honestly with someone who understands the weight of the role.
Our mission
To offer thoughtful, experience-led support that promotes confident leadership, sound judgement and sustainable decision-making.
Been there, done that!
Mentoring
It is structured, confidential and rooted in real executive experience. The focus is on supporting leaders who are navigating senior roles where technical competence alone is no longer enough — where credibility, judgement and confidence materially affect outcomes.Sessions are reflective and practical. They provide space to explore difficult decisions, board dynamics, leadership challenges and professional isolation, with the benefit of an experienced peer who understands both the context and the consequences.This is not advice from a distance. It is thoughtful challenge, perspective and reassurance from someone who has held similar responsibility.
Coaching focuses on how you operate as a leader.
Coaching
This work supports individuals who want to strengthen executive presence, sharpen thinking and lead with greater assurance. It is particularly valuable for those stepping into broader roles, managing complex stakeholder relationships, or carrying increased organisational visibility.The approach is calm and grounded. Sessions help leaders slow thinking down, gain clarity and develop practical strategies for navigating challenge — whether that is leading teams through change, managing upwards, or handling difficult conversations.The aim is not performance theatre, but confident, intentional leadership.
Ready to start?
Supporting MAT CFO's and finance professionals.
Strong organisations are built through everyday leadership.
Culture and Management
This strand of work focuses on how culture and management operate in practice — how decisions are made, how accountability works, and how leadership is experienced across the organisation.Support in this area helps leaders reflect honestly on the culture they are creating and make practical adjustments that improve trust, clarity and performance. This may include management structures, leadership behaviours, communication norms and the relationship between central leadership and operational teams.The work is realistic and respectful of constraints, while still challenging where habits or structures are holding the organisation back.
Project support is offered where experience and judgement are critical.
Project Support
This typically involves defined, time-limited work where organisations benefit from senior input alongside internal teams — particularly where capacity is stretched or additional assurance is required.Support may include shaping the approach, sense-checking plans, providing challenge at key decision points, or offering steady leadership through complex or sensitive phases of delivery.The emphasis is on adding value quickly, maintaining proportion, and leaving behind clarity rather than dependency.
Why work with us.
Trust Balance is intentionally built around personal credibility rather than scale.All work is delivered directly by someone with senior executive experience, board-level accountability and a deep understanding of leadership in complex organisations. The approach is shaped by real decisions, real consequences and a clear appreciation of what it means to carry responsibility at the top of an organisation.Clients value the combination of professional rigour, sector fluency and calm challenge — and the reassurance of working with someone who understands the role from the inside.
Is this for me?
Who this is for?
This work is well suited to:Senior finance leaders and executives operating at board or executive levelIndividuals stepping into broader or more visible leadership rolesLeaders seeking confidential, experience-led challenge and supportOrganisations that value thoughtful judgement over generic solutions
Is this for me?
Who this is not for?
This is unlikely to be the right fit if you are looking for:Large-scale consultancy delivery or packaged solutionsTransactional advice without context or challengeJunior delivery teams or off-the-shelf frameworksShort-term fixes without reflection or ownership
Next step
If the work described resonates, the starting point is a simple conversation.No sales process. No obligation. Just an opportunity to explore whether Trust Balance is the right support for you or your organisation.Arrange a conversation.
Aiming to be the solution not the problem
How many of your current suppliers are part of the solution, and how many are part of the problem?Education is a wicked problem and many suppliers use the fact that it is a complex industry to provide solutions that are not always right for the school or the Trust.Having direct experience working in the sector as a CFO our founder is committed that Trust Balance be part of the solution for our community and not part of the problem.
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
News letter
Interested in connecting with other CFOs and finance professionals, join our mailing list and we will share details of networking opportunities and learning events.
