GLAS is a pioneer in the non-bank loan agency, structured finance and corporate trustee marketplace. The company acts as a neutral administrator that sits between borrowers, lenders and investors on large corporate debt deals. It was born out of the wreckage of the 2008 financial crisis and achieved unicorn status in 2026.

Mia Drennan started as a temp in the City, rising through the ranks at establishments such as Bank of New York. She launched a headhunting firm in 2005 before selling it in 2011 and using the £6,000 proceeds as seed capital to launch GLAS. After nearly 400 meetings trying to convince people that it was a viable idea, it began to get traction before a breakthrough in 2013.

GLAS won a bid to take over as the facility and security agent on the £2.4bn debt pile owed by the owner of Yellow Pages, which involved 600 lenders from across the world. Today, it has over $920bn in assets under administration and 500 employees across 14 countries.

Drennan had resisted M&A for years, wary of the industry's failure rate. However, with operations outside the UK that include Paris, Rome, New York, Dubai, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore, GLAS has expanded its global reach by following its clients into new markets and has been a key cog in the company’s growth. In January 2026, a deal was reached with private equity firm Oakley Capital to acquire a majority stake in GLAS, valuing the company at north of £1bn. But Drennan has her eyes firmly set on a £5bn valuation before her next exit.