Louis Hobart Author Page

Louis’ professional experience

Louis Hobart is an Audit & Assurance Manager at Price Bailey, based in the Bishop’s Stortford office. He specialises in external and internal audit, working with a broad portfolio of clients including SMEs, academy trusts, and not-for-profit organisations.

With a strong focus on the education sector, Louis supports both single and multi-academy trusts, providing practical, technically sound advice on accounting, audit, and regularity matters. Learn more about Louis here.

What are Louis’ qualifications and areas of specialism?

Louis is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (FCA), reflecting his experience and commitment to the profession.

His core specialisms include:

• External audit for SMEs and corporate groups
• Academy trust external audit and regularity assurance
• Internal audit for education and not-for-profit organisations
• Risk identification and mitigation across financial and operational areas

Louis has developed particular expertise in the academy sector, where he combines technical knowledge with a practical understanding of governance and regulatory requirements.

What is Louis’ professional experience?

Louis has been working with academy trusts since 2012, delivering both external and internal audit services throughout that time.

He joined Price Bailey in 2022 and now:

• Manages a portfolio of academy trust clients, including multi-academy trusts
• Oversees a range of SME external audit engagements across different sectors
• Leads internal audit assignments, particularly within education and not-for-profit organisations
• Provides technical guidance as part of Price Bailey’s academy management team

His broader audit experience spans owner-managed businesses through to larger corporate structures, giving him a well-rounded perspective when advising clients.

Louis has also built strong, long-term client relationships, contributing to collaborative audit processes that prioritise transparency and efficiency.

Sector involvement and insights

Academy trusts have been a central part of Louis’ career. He has held both internal and external audit roles in the sector and continues to support clients in navigating its evolving regulatory landscape.

Outside of his client work, Louis is a Trustee of a local charity, giving him first-hand insight into governance responsibilities and the challenges faced by trustees. This perspective informs his approach when advising academy boards and leadership teams.

Published content and thought leadership

Drawing on his experience in the not-for-profit and education sectors, Louis has contributed to a range of content covering:

• Internal audit
• Academy trust governance and assurance

He has also supported the development of client case studies, including work with academy trusts that highlight collaborative, long-term partnerships.