Sometimes, Ranger Mack takes calls in the aptly named 1776 Conference Room in GLG’s offices in the historic Bourse Building in Philadelphia. At home, his four-year-old son sleeps next to a Bryce Harper bobblehead doll and insists on wearing the same Eagles shirt to school every day.

It might be too much for a transplanted New Yorker like Mack to bear – except that he is co-head of GLG’s expanding Philadelphia client service hub. In the year since GLG created a hub in Greater Philadelphia under the direction of Mack and co-head Cindy Floyd, the global information services company has grown quickly in the region. 

The company, which connects leading decision makers to the first-hand experience of its global network of experts, serves about 40% of the Fortune 100 and seven of the top 10 global technology companies, along with life sciences companies, private equity firms, life sciences companies, law firms, and consultancies.

“We knew Philadelphia had a great pool of talent, but we also found there is a very fierce connection to the city by its people, whether it’s history or the sports teams, or you name it,” he said recently. “There’s just an incredible amount of loyalty to the city, and as someone who isn’t from here, shame on me; I didn’t recognize that at first.”

What Mack and GLG did recognize early on was that Greater Philadelphia offered a chance to be near many of its biggest clients, not to mention something just as important: A pipeline of home-grown graduates from world-class universities.

“We needed to access phenomenal talent to work with our clients,” Mack said. “Moreover, we wanted a place where we felt like we could put down roots and grow quickly.”

The move came with the help of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and the City of Philadelphia, who worked closely with GLG during its selection process.

“GLG is an important addition to Greater Philadelphia because, by the very nature of its business, it is a window to the world,” said James Medaglio, Director, Business Attraction & Expansion, Select Greater Philadelphia. “GLG saw what we already knew. This region is a hotbed of bright, ambitious people from a diverse set of backgrounds. The growth we’ve seen already points to the bright future of its Philadelphia hub.” 

A Human Reality

In a world where information is king, GLG matches more than a million experts in specific industries with clients seeking insights and perspectives to guide business or investing decisions. 

“Say that someone wants to understand the airline industry,” Mack said. “They could read various aerospace periodicals. They could pick up the Wall Street Journal. They could take a look at all the financial statements that are made available to them, and this is all a great way to build a general understanding.”

“But at the end of the day — and it’s a very human reality — there is a desire to learn from someone else that has actual experience. We all naturally do this all the time. We run into a challenge in life, and we like to call someone who understands or who has been through something similar themselves. And so, for us, our clients come to us literally thousands of times a day and say, ‘I need to get smart, or I need to learn about this thing. Please find me the best people to help me understand this.’”

Setting the Standard

Now in its 25th year, GLG has 14 offices, including three U.S. hubs: New York City, Austin, Texas, and Philadelphia. The company employs nearly 2,700 people globally, many of whom are responsible for recruiting the ever-growing network of experts and then matching them with clients when needed. The experts are compensated for their time, and strict guardrails are in place to ensure clients receive actionable insights in a manner that is consistent with the highest professional standards.

“We set the standard here. We’ve led the industry in the establishment and development of compliance standards and have a very thorough compliance framework,” Mack said. “Our viewpoint is we want our clients to be around for a long time, and we want to be around for a long time. Compliance is foundational to our business.”

Expanding the network of experts is a day-in, day-out process that requires steady investments in talent.

“We’re always looking outward and wondering about the topics that are going to be interesting two months from now,” Mack said. “For example, there is just an insatiable appetite to understand green industry and the technology that powers it.”  

An Obvious Choice

All of this makes GLG an exciting and dynamic place to work – “no two days are identical,” he said.

When GLG went looking to build another hub, executives explored several cities close to key clients.

“We looked around, and quite frankly, we thought Philadelphia, with its pool of talent and proximity to top-tier universities, was an obvious choice,” Mack said. “Then we realized how many graduates who had left wanted to return to the region.”

He said that working with the Chamber, the City of Philadelphia, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania helped seal the deal.

“That was instrumental in helping us understand just how wonderful this city could be,” Mack remarked.

And now?

Andrew Somosi, Head of GLG Americas, said about the opening of the Bourse location that Greater Philadelphia “has strengthened our ability to meet client demand and improve client service, both in the city and across the U.S.”

That’s why the firm is intent on expanding in the region.

“We’re in the early innings here,” Mack said.

Spoken like a true, albeit new, Phillies fan.

Visit Select Greater Philadelphia for more information about the region’s universities and employment base. This location project was brought to us by Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Company (BLS & Co.), one of the largest independent firms in the specialty fields of site selection and economic development incentives advisory services.