Leask Advisory Solutions was created for business owners who need more from finance than reports, accounts and historic numbers.
Led by Julia Leask FCMA, CGMA, Leask helps owner-managed, growth and international businesses understand what their numbers really mean, improve cashflow, strengthen reporting, prepare for investment or exit, and build businesses with greater value, control and independence.
Julia works as a Fractional CFO, Finance Director, strategic finance adviser, UK Director and Company Secretary where clients need senior financial judgement without necessarily hiring a full-time FD.
Her role is simple:
To help owners see the financial picture clearly, make better decisions and build stronger businesses.
Julia started Leask Advisory Solutions because she could see too many businesses receiving financial information without getting the clarity, challenge or commercial insight needed to use it properly.
The accounts may be done.
The reports may be produced.
The bookkeeping may be tidy.
But the owner still needs to know:
Cashflow, forecasting, working capital and financial capacity.
Timing, margin, payment terms, costs and operational pressure.
Forecasts, reporting, assumptions, due diligence and investor confidence.
Value drivers, owner dependence, systems, controls and profitability.
Exit readiness, succession, transferability and future options.
Board packs, management information and decision-ready finance.
Leask exists to close the gap between financial information and better business decisions.
Julia has spent more than 30 years helping businesses use finance to make better commercial decisions.
She works with owners, directors and leadership teams who need clear numbers, practical challenge and senior finance support that helps the business move forward.
Her experience includes:
Senior finance leadership for businesses that need expertise without a full-time FD.
Helping owners understand financial performance, cashflow, profitability, risk and future options.
Supporting businesses with forecasts, board reporting, due diligence and investor scrutiny.
Helping overseas-owned businesses manage UK finance visibility, reporting, governance and practical operations.
Helping owners build businesses that are less dependent, more valuable and better prepared for future change.
Supporting clearer reporting, accountability, controls and decision-making.
Providing responsible UK support where appropriate for international or growing businesses.
Julia is known for being straight-talking, commercially practical and calm under pressure.
She does not drown owners in finance jargon.
She helps them understand what matters, what needs attention and what decisions need to be made next.
Leask Advisory Solutions is built around the idea that finance should help you run the business, not just report on it.
Julia helps simplify the financial picture so owners can see what matters.
The focus is not only what happened last month, but what decisions need to happen next.
Julia asks the questions that help owners avoid assumptions, blind spots and wishful thinking.
Advice only matters if it leads to action, better routines and stronger decisions.
Julia works alongside accountants, bookkeepers, advisers and trusted specialists where needed.
The aim is to build businesses that are less dependent on one person and stronger for the future.
This is finance with sleeves rolled up.
Strategic enough for the boardroom.
Practical enough for the real world.
Julia is best suited to established businesses where the numbers now matter to bigger decisions.
Clearer cashflow, stronger reporting, better control and support to move beyond gut feel.
UK finance visibility, reporting, governance, adviser coordination and practical local support.
Forecasts, assumptions, due diligence preparation, board reporting and investor-ready financial information.
Business value insight, owner-dependence reduction, stronger systems and future readiness.
Leask is not right for every business.
Julia is not the best fit if you only need the cheapest bookkeeping, payroll, VAT or year-end accounts.
She is the right fit when you want to understand the business properly and use finance to make better decisions.
Fractional CFO & Strategic Finance Partner
Business Value Review
Cashflow & Profitability Improvement
Investment Readiness
Exit & Succession Readiness
International Finance Support
UK Director & Company Secretary Support
Governance, Reporting & Board Support
Finance Systems, Reporting & Controls
Supported a Swedish-owned marine survey business with UK finance visibility, reporting, forecasting, governance and practical growth support.
Helped rebuild UK finance structure for a Swedish sustainable construction business through disruption, recovery and growth.
Built and led UK, US and group finance support behind US expansion, investor scrutiny and a successful £5.5m Series A.
CEO, Njord Survey
Commercial understanding, trusted UK finance support and management-team partnership
Head of Diversified and International, Escalon Services
Owner advice, board-level challenge and senior finance leadership
Neurofenix
Finance function maturity, growth support and handover readiness
Leask Advisory Solutions is led by Julia, but clients are not limited to one person’s expertise.
Over the years, Julia has built trusted relationships with specialists across bookkeeping, payroll, tax, technology, cyber, risk, cost management and business support.
That means clients can access senior finance guidance from Julia, with the option to involve trusted specialists when their situation calls for it.
The point is not to make things complicated.
The point is to make sure the right expertise is around the table at the right time.
Julia brings deep professional experience and long-standing commitment to the finance profession.
Her background includes:
Fellow Chartered Management Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant.
Supporting businesses with commercial finance, reporting, decision-making and growth.
Elected to International CIMA Council.
Awarded a CIMA plaque in 2022 for voluntary work.
Recognised in 2018 for achievement through networking.
Has contributed to expert panels, professional discussions and business finance conversations.
The recognition matters, but it is not the main point.
The main point is what Julia helps clients do with that experience: make clearer decisions, build stronger businesses and create better future options.
Clients often come to Julia when finance feels more complicated than it should.
They may be growing, preparing for investment, dealing with cash pressure, managing UK operations, planning exit or trying to get better control.
Julia’s style is practical and direct.
You can expect:
Finance explained in a way that helps you act.
Honest questions that strengthen decisions.
Advice connected to the realities of running the business.
Support that helps bring order to complexity.
Focus on what happens next, not just what happened before.
Julia is direct because she wants the business to be stronger.
If your business needs clearer numbers, better reporting, stronger cashflow, investment readiness, exit planning or senior finance support, Julia can help you understand what matters and what to do next.
