What Gerson Lehrman Group does

Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG) is the world's largest expert insight network, founded in 1998 in New York by Mark Gerson and Thomas Lehman. The company operates a two-sided platform connecting an enterprise client base spanning financial services (including 9 of 10 major global banks, 1,000+ private equity firms, and 600+ investment companies), management consulting firms, corporations, and law firms with a network of approximately 1.2 million vetted subject-matter experts across more than 230 countries. Service offerings include expert calls (one-on-one, AI-moderated, multi-party, in-person), quantitative and qualitative surveys, on-demand expert content and event libraries, advisory placements (board directors, deal advisors, expert witnesses), and longer-term strategic projects. Pricing is quote-based and project-driven, typically structured under multi-year contracts with enterprise buyers. Distribution is direct via dedicated client-aligned sales teams in 17+ offices globally, supplemented by embedded distribution through Bloomberg Terminal's ASKB interface and the FactSet platform.

The core technology stack centers on the myGLG client portal, refreshed in April 2025 with four AI capabilities - Ask (conversational agentic project building), Match (AI expert recommendation using proprietary behavioral data), Gather (insight collection), and Synthesize (transcript summarization and pattern extraction). Additional technology includes the GLG for Experts mobile app (launched September 2025) with speech-to-text and AI-assisted responses, the GLG Library with AI-powered Q&A, and a Compliance Dashboard enabling real-time client oversight of primary research. The platform runs atop a proprietary compliance and screening infrastructure developed over more than 20 years, formalized under ISO 27001 certification (February 2026) and aligned to GDPR and CCPA requirements, operated by a 50+ person compliance function.

GLG monetizes through professional services fees and subscription content access, funded since founding by approximately $442 million in disclosed private equity from Bessemer Venture Partners ($30M, 2004), Silver Lake Partners ($200M, 2008), and SFW Capital Partners ($212M, 2015). The company remains private under co-founders Gerson and Lehrman with institutional backing. Headcount has grown from 900 in 2013 to 2,000+ by 2019 and continues to expand with new office openings including Hong Kong (December 2025) and San Francisco (March 2026). Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company has stated it achieved record revenue and profitability in 2017 and maintained profitability through 2020 without layoffs or pay cuts. Current CEO is Gemma Postlethwaite, appointed in 2023.

Name

Gerson Lehrman Group

Legal name

Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc.

Website

https://glginsights.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG) is the world's largest expert insight network, connecting financial services firms, consulting companies, corporations, and law firms with approximately 1.2 million vetted subject-matter experts across 230+ countries through expert calls, surveys, advisory placements, and an AI-powered myGLG platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Expert Network Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Competitive Intelligence & Benchmarking (BPAHALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Data, Analytics & AI Consulting (BPAHAEAF)

Keywords

• Expert network services
• Primary market research
• Expert consultation platform
• B2B survey research
• Advisory placement services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Expert Consultation Services: GLG connects clients with subject matter experts for one-on-one phone consultations, interpreted calls, and multi-party meetings. Pricing is typically project-based or hourly consultation fees paid to experts.
2. Research and Surveys: Quantitative and qualitative survey services including B2B surveys, Voice of Customer research, competitive assessments, and pricing research. Delivered by specialized research teams.
3. Strategic Projects: Longer-term advisory engagements where experts serve as advisors or project team members for market assessments, due diligence, competitive analysis, and strategic planning.
4. Events and Content Access: Live and virtual events featuring expert presentations, roundtables, conferences, and seminars. Library subscription providing access to thousands of event transcripts, reports, surveys, and webcasts.
5. Board and Deal Advisory Placements: Placement of experts as board directors, strategic advisors, deal advisors, and expert witnesses for critical business moments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group) operates the world's largest expert network, connecting enterprise clients in financial services, consulting, corporate, and law firm sectors with approximately 1.2 million vetted subject-matter experts across 230+ countries. Core deliverables include one-on-one expert calls (and AI-moderated calls), qualitative and quantitative surveys, expert content (transcript library and subscription feed), live and virtual events, and advisory/board placements. The myGLG client platform provides AI-powered expert matching, transcript synthesis, and agentic project building as the technology layer over these services.

Product overview

GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group) is the world's leading expert network platform for trusted human expertise, offering a comprehensive suite of products and services that connect businesses with approximately 1.2 million verified experts across 230+ countries. The core offering includes Expert Calls (direct private consultations), AI-Moderated Calls, Surveys (quantitative/qualitative research), Expert Content Library/Feed (on-demand transcripts and content), and Events (roundtables, webinars, conferences). The platform includes advisory and placement services (Board Placements, Deal Advisors, Talent on Demand) and qualitative/integrated research services. Central to the offering is the myGLG client portal - an AI-powered platform featuring Ask (agentic project building), Match (expert matching), Gather (insight collection), and Synthesize (transcript analysis) capabilities. The company serves clients across Financial Services, Private Equity, Consulting Firms, Law, and Corporations through global offices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Expert Calls Direct, private one-on-one conversations between clients and GLG-vetted subject matter experts to gather bespoke insights for informing and validating hypotheses. Includes 1-on-1 calls, interpreted calls, multi-party calls, and in-person meetings. For enterprise clients in financial services, consulting, corporate, and law firm sectors.
• AI-Moderated Calls Expert calls conducted with AI moderation that enables efficient, scalable gathering of insights based on client timeline and needs, with automated synthesis of call content.
• Surveys Quantitative and qualitative surveys that capture global views, technical depth, and professional opinions at scale. Includes B2B surveys, Voice of Customer research, competitor evaluation, pricing research, and brand tracking.
• Expert Content Library On-demand access to original and unblinded senior-level expert transcripts from events, webcasts, and interviews, searchable by topic with AI-powered Q&A, topic summaries, and key point extraction (GLG Library with AI Assistant).
• Expert Content Feed Curated expert-driven content including articles, case studies, videos, and reports accessible through subscription.
• Board Placements Placement of experts as board directors for critical business moments, connecting organizations with qualified governance leaders.
• Deal Advisors Embedding of experts as deal advisors and strategic advisors during M&A, investment, and other critical business transactions.
• myGLG Platform AI-powered client portal enabling decision makers to search the GLG expert network, initiate projects, synthesize multiple transcripts, and manage projects with AI tools (Ask for agentic project building, Match for expert matching, Gather for insight collection, Synthesize for transcript analysis).
• Events In-person or virtual events including roundtables, conferences, webinars, remote meetings, site tours, and seminars connecting clients with leading senior experts to understand market shifts.
• Expert Network Membership GLG's network of approximately 1.2 million experts across 230+ countries and regions, spanning healthcare, technology, financial services, consumer goods, and other industries. Membership is by application/approval and is itself a commercial product (experts earn from engagements).
• GLG for Experts Mobile App Mobile application for GLG experts to manage projects, respond quickly to opportunities, and discover new opportunities, featuring speech-to-text conversion and AI-powered responses based on history and profile.
• Talent on Demand Medium to long-term advisory services where GLG experts participate as project advisors or team members, providing comprehensive project support including market assessment, GTM strategy, and M&A due diligence.

Quantifiable outcome

• Global coverage in 230+ countries with expert network spanning diverse industries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BloombergcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025GLG provides expert content integration into Bloomberg's ASKB interface, enabling Bloomberg Terminal clients to access GLG's authoritative expert insights combined with Bloomberg's interconnected data and agentic AI capabilities.
• FactSetcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023GLG announced content partnership with FactSet, integrating expert insights and research content into FactSet's financial data and analytics platforms.
• Various Nonprofits (GLG Partners Program)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGLG Partners is an employee-driven program where GLG employees nominate nonprofits worldwide to receive pro bono access to GLG experts and teams. Partner organizations include Rainforest Partnership and other social impact organizations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• YipitData: Alternative-data and primary-research provider serving institutional investors with web-based panel and expert insights; overlaps with GLG's survey and competitive intelligence offerings for buy-side clients.
• Dialectica: Emerging expert network focused on B2B expert calls for consulting and investment clients; comparable in core service but with a younger platform and narrower geographic reach than GLG.
• Prosapient: Tech-forward emerging expert network offering expert calls, surveys, and research with an AI-matching platform, targeting consulting, PE, and corporate clients similar to GLG's core segments.

Broad incumbents

• Bain & Company: Top-tier management consulting firm and one of GLG's largest enterprise customers; representative of the broad consulting-firm segment that buys expert network services at scale for client engagements.
• Mintel: Global market research firm providing syndicated and custom research across consumer industries; comparable to GLG in serving corporate customers with market intelligence and consumer insights, though via published research rather than expert consultations.
• Source Global Research: Specialized research firm focused on the professional services and expert network industry; overlaps with GLG in providing research-driven insights and benchmarking for consulting and enterprise buyers.

Direct peers

• Guidepoint: Direct competitor operating a global expert network serving hedge funds, PE firms, consulting firms, and corporates. Overlaps significantly with GLG across expert calls, surveys, and consultative research offerings.
• AlphaSights: Closest direct competitor to GLG; founded in 2008, AlphaSights provides expert network services connecting clients with industry experts for consultations, research, and advisory, targeting the same financial services, consulting, and corporate clients.
• Coleman Research (now Erebus): Direct competitor in the expert network space, founded in 2002, serving investment funds, consultancies, and corporations with primary research via expert consultations and surveys.
• Third Bridge: Direct competitor offering expert interviews, surveys, and research products to PE, hedge funds, and consulting clients; merged with Coleman Research in 2023 to form a scaled rival to GLG.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/glg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GLGit
• Facebookfacebook.com/glg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/glg
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifeatglg

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gerson Lehrman Group