History of GLG
1998
Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG) is founded in New York as a publishing company focused on sector-specific reports for investors.
Mark Gerson and Thomas Lehrman, both in their late twenties, raise $1 million to start the company. Alexander Saint-Amand joins as an editor during his senior year at college. GLG initially produces reports by engaging experts – academics, scientists, and physicians – to write about industries undergoing massive technological or regulatory change.
1999
Mark, Thomas, and Alexander realize they have the opportunity to do much more than produce reports – they can fundamentally change the way companies conduct primary research.
While attending industry conferences on behalf of potential clients, Alexander witnesses the power of informal one-to-one and small-group conversations that take place between programmed events. GLG begins building the technical infrastructure to connect client requests with relevant experts, creating a new professional learning platform.
2000
GLG begins hosting small meetings with biotechnology investors, physicians, and scientists over breakfast at the Yale Club in New York City.
2001
GLG expands beyond the healthcare and technology fields, beginning with a new practice to serve clients in Power and Energy, which later becomes Energy and Industrials.
2002
GLG continues expansion by region to better serve clients across the U.S., opening offices in San Francisco, Boston, and Los Angeles.
GLG also begins offering a broader array of products and services to clients, including curated meetings, surveys, and events. Alexander Saint-Amand becomes President and Chief Operating Officer.
2003
GLG opens its first office outside the U.S., in London, to be closer to major clients in European markets.
GLG builds out more practice areas, including Legal, Economic, and Regulatory Affairs.
2004
Bessemer Venture Partners leads a $30 million investment in GLG to fuel expansion.
GLG opens offices in Chicago and Washington, D.C. With heavy investment, GLG creates the industry’s most technologically advanced and comprehensive compliance system. GLG’s systems and compliance oversight tools help experts manage conflicts and enable clients to implement their own protocols.
2004
Bessemer Venture Partners leads a $30 million investment in GLG to fuel expansion.
GLG opens offices in Chicago and Washington, D.C. With heavy investment, GLG creates the industry’s most technologically advanced and comprehensive compliance system. GLG’s systems and compliance oversight tools help experts manage conflicts and enable clients to implement their own protocols.
2005
GLG expands to Austin, Texas, where teams initially focus on supporting its 70,000 Network Members (experts).
With more than 200 employees, the company establishes new specialized practice areas to serve clients in Accounting and Financial Analysis, Consumer Goods and Services, Financial Business Services, and Real Estate.
GLG expands into Asia, opening locations in Hong Kong and Shanghai to better serve clients in Asia-Pacific markets and leverage local expertise.
2006
Alexander Saint-Amand becomes Chief Executive Officer. The company continues to expand beyond its financial services business, serving Fortune 1000 companies and professional services firms.
GLG opens offices in India and Singapore to deepen client service capabilities in Asia and globally.
2008
Silver Lake Partners invests $200 million in GLG. GLG’s growth accelerates across industry verticals, and the company continues to develop its technology and compliance systems.
GLG opens an office in Japan, meeting growing demand in the country with localized service and expertise.
2009
With 700 employees, GLG continues to focus on growth – especially in international financial services – and executing in new client segments.
GLG expands its customer reach to serve law firms and life sciences companies. GLG opens an office in Beijing, its third location serving clients in Greater China.
2010
An increase in U.S. prosecutions of insider trading brings growing scrutiny to investment research. Clients increasingly turn to GLG for the value of its state-of-the-art compliance initiatives and programs.
2011
GLG has almost 750 employees worldwide, including 115 sales professionals, 275 research professionals, and nearly 20 employees in legal and compliance.
2012
GLG Social Impact launches, bringing GLG’s learning platform to the social sector as it begins supporting nonprofits with pivotal insights.
2013
GLG has more than 900 employees in 21 offices around the world and manages a global network of more than 375,000 leading experts.
GLG incubates GLG Institute, applying the GLG model of decisions based on first-hand experience and subject-matter expertise to executive learning and counsel.
2014
Alexander Saint-Amand becomes Chief Executive Officer. The company continues to expand beyond its financial services business, serving Fortune 1000 companies and professional services firms.
GLG formally launches GLG Institute for executives operating in increasingly complex business, regulatory, and technological environments. Members work with prominent chief executives, technologists, scientists, and policy leaders for intensive counsel, mentorship, and network building. GLG moves its global headquarters to One Grand Central Place in New York City. The company creates the GLG Social Impact Fellowship, its flagship Social Impact program, to give social sector organizations around the world access to GLG insights at no cost.
2015
GLG continues to expand its Network Membership, product offerings, and global presence. 2015 culminates with SFW Capital Partners making a $212 million strategic equity investment in GLG.
GLG has more than 1,100 employees in 22 offices in 12 countries. Its expert membership comprises more than 425,000 thought leaders and practitioners across industries and geographies. GLG’s clients include Fortune 500 companies in nearly every sector and the leading global professional services firms and financial institutions. GLG launches its first online video series, “Expertise at GLG,” featuring GLG experts sharing their perspectives and insights.
2016
GLG’s global network grows to more than half a million experts, the most diverse, dynamic, and senior membership of its kind.
GLG continues to expand its products with GLG Surveys. The Arnhold Institute for Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and GLG partner to create the Mount Sinai-GLG Global Health Scholars program.
2017
GLG garners record revenue and profit, accelerating expansion as it grows to more than 1,500 employees.
GLG moves into new, larger offices in Hong Kong, Mumbai, Dublin, Singapore, and Dubai, and doubles the size of its Austin office. An independent evaluation confirms the success of GLG’s Social Impact Fellowship, which adds 6 new Fellows, bringing the total global Fellowship community to 36.
2018
Technology executive Paul Todd becomes CEO. GLG re-imagines its purpose statement: We bring the power of insight to every great professional decision.
GLG’s headcount rises to 1,800 employees. Its membership now comprises more than 650,000 experts. GLG moves into larger offices in Austin, New York, Seoul, and Shanghai. An independent report by Bruce Reed of Civic, a bipartisan policy ideas company, details the origins of platforms like GLG that connect businesses to expertise for smarter, faster decisions, and traces the evolution of the sector into a billion-dollar industry. GLG’s Social Impact Fellowship welcomes 9 new Fellows to its community, which now totals 45 social sector leaders.
2019
GLG pushes a new wave of growth powered by significant strategic investments, including $50 million in technology and related spending.
GLGers number more than 2,000 for the first time, and the network grows to more than 900,000 experts. The company adds several new senior executives to its leadership team, overseeing aggressive investments in technology, marketing, service innovation, and more. GLG significantly expands its Social Impact work by launching GLG Partners, which allows all employees to nominate nonprofits for no-cost access to GLG
2020
GLG continues to innovate and deliver vital insights to clients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, posting robust financials while offering pro bono services to hundreds of organizations working on pandemic relief and racial equity.
GLG navigates COVID-19 with strong revenue and profit results and no layoffs, furloughs, or pay cuts while driving a remote-work culture defined by high-quality performance and compassion. GLG focuses its 2020 Social Impact work on COVID-19 relief and racial equity, supporting hundreds of organizations that collectively reach 100M+ people and naming a new class of Fellows working on these issues. The company launches Deciding Factors, a podcast featuring interviews with top decision makers. GLG earns recognition in Fast Company‘s “World Changing Ideas Awards.” GLG welcomes Gemma Postlethwaite to GLG’s board.
See how GLGers came together with the help of experts and each other as the pandemic struck
2021
GLG is recognized by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index as a “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.”
GLGers set foot in U.S. offices to collaborate in person for the first time since March 2020 as the company transitions to a flexible hybrid working model. LinkedIn names GLG a top company in Austin.
GLG grows its market research teams and products.
GLG expands its market research capabilities with a range of products, including surveys, in-person and virtual focus groups, workshops, discussion panels, moderated calls, and more.
GLG’s Network Membership surpasses 1 million experts, with thousands of new experts recruited every week.
GLG announces it will open a new U.S. client service center in Philadelphia.
2022
GLG opens its doors in Munich and Barcelona, offering enhanced client service teams and broader language capabilities to its European clients.
GLG moves into new and expanded spaces in Gurugram and Mumbai. GLG’s “Insights with Impact” report is recognized by Fast Company’s 2022 “World Changing Ideas Awards.”
2023
GLG celebrates its 25th anniversary.
The industry founder and leader for two and a half decades, GLG remains the world’s most trusted source of first-hand expertise, helping clients navigate increasingly high-stakes problems with dedicated service, expanded offerings, and a global footprint. GLG reinvests in the experience of its Network Members, including by improving the algorithms that match experts to client opportunities, and accelerates the development and delivery of the products like GLG Surveys and the GLG Library, a hub for thousands of pieces of content.
GLG announces Gemma Postlethwaite, a longtime leader in information services, as CEO.
At the time of her appointment, Gemma expresses excitement for her role and the company’s future: “I am passionate about growing client-centric global businesses in the information services sector and confident that together we can make GLG an even better business going forward.”
GLG reaches a Social Impact milestone and continues its global expansion with new client service centers.
GLG Social Impact welcomes its 10th class of Fellows. GLG Philadelphia officially opens its permanent space, celebrating with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring remarks from Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. GLG expands to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, opening its 11th location in the APAC region. GLG announces a new content partnership with Bloomberg.