Louise Staunton is Chief Financial Officer at Greater Manchester Education Trust (GMET), where she provides strategic leadership across finance, operations, governance, risk, audit, compliance, and business services. Based in Manchester, she works with trustees, school leaders, and central teams to support strong financial stewardship, effective resource management, and high-quality operational delivery. A qualified ACCA accountant, Louise has more than 25 years’ experience in education finance, with particular expertise in the trust sector. She currently works within a trust of four large secondary schools that is expanding into the primary sector through the addition of three primary schools. Her experience includes senior finance and operational leadership roles, with expertise in financial planning, governance, risk management, compliance, organisational development, and educational business leadership.