GLG

GLG sources experts through a combination of inbound applications, custom recruiting, and algorithmic profiling of publicly available professional data. Every expert is vetted via a multi-step compliance process that verifies employment history, assesses conflicts of interest, and establishes restrictions on topics they can discuss. The firm maintains a dedicated legal and compliance team across its offices, and all engagements are governed by GLG's terms of use, which prohibit the disclosure of material non-public information (per the firm's official communications).

Gemma Postlethwaite has served as GLG's CEO since 2023, overseeing global strategy and operations after previously holding the roles of Chief Operating Officer and Chief People Officer. Co-founder Mark Gerson remains Chairman of the Board. The firm is majority-owned by a consortium of private investors including SFW Capital Partners, a specialized private equity firm focused on industrial and business services companies, which invested in GLG in 2010.

Clients commonly use GLG for pre-investment due diligence on private companies, industry deep-dives ahead of public market positions, supply-chain verification, competitive landscape assessments, and channel checks on product adoption. Private equity firms use the network to diligence acquisition targets and assess management teams; hedge funds use it to pressure-test investment theses; and venture capital firms source technical expertise on emerging technologies. The engagements are structured as one-hour calls, in-person meetings, multi-day site visits, or panel surveys.

GLG is the oldest and largest expert network, with a broader geographic presence and a client base extending beyond financial services into corporate strategy, law, and government. Where AlphaSights has built a reputation for speed and a more narrowly focused account model, GLG competes on breadth of expert coverage, complementary survey and event products, and a scaled compliance infrastructure. Guidepoint also serves a broad client base but positions itself with deeper in-house research capabilities and a healthcare specialization.

Yes. GLG Surveys quantifies expert opinion by fielding structured questionnaires to its network; GLG Events hosts in-person roundtables, conference calls, and virtual briefings with thematic experts; and GLG Social Impact provides free access to the network for select nonprofits and social enterprises. The firm also operates GLG Institute, a membership-based executive development and networking program that connects senior leaders across industries.

The expert-network industry operates under constant scrutiny for the risk that experts may inadvertently disclose material non-public information to clients. GLG addresses this through a mandatory compliance onboarding process for every expert, topic-specific restrictions tailored to each individual's employment history and current affiliations, and real-time compliance oversight during engagements. The firm also prohibits consultants from discussing their current employers. GLG's compliance framework is audited regularly and serves as a competitive moat relative to smaller networks with fewer resources to dedicate to legal oversight (per the firm's official communications).

GLG operates 22 offices across 12 countries, with major hubs in New York, London, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, and Austin. The firm has invested heavily in Greater China—maintaining offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen—to serve demand for on-the-ground diligence on Chinese companies and supply chains. India, served from a Mumbai office, represents another growth market, with GLG expanding its expert panel coverage of Indian corporates and industrial sectors.