FinTech founder Mia Drennan will represent the UK at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year in May 2026 in Monaco.
It follows her success at the recent UK final of the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year.
She was one of 11 UK finalists selected by independent judges from across the UK recognised for their outstanding leadership, passion for innovation and contribution to the UK economy.
Drennan, who also won the London Region award, has redefined global debt administration by building the world’s largest independent loan agency and trustee services provider.
The judges recognised her role in scaling GLAS across 10 countries, 12 cities, and four continents, building a market-leading independent platform that now services over $700bn in assets under administration.
UK 2025 EY Entrepreneur of the Year winner Mia Drennan, CEO and founder, of GLAS
As of the 2024 EY Superscalers report, Drennan represents only one of 80 women to have ever built a business in the UK that has surpassed £50m in revenue.
Under her leadership, GLAS has grown to a team of more than 450 professionals worldwide, partnering with the world’s leading law firms, financial institutions, and corporates to deliver excellence across the global capital markets.
Drennan said: “It’s been an extraordinary journey building GLAS into the global business it is today, with many ups, downs, and glass ceilings broken along the way.
“I am incredibly proud to be named EY Entrepreneur of the Year for the UK in recognition of this.
“This award is a testament not only to the past 15 years of hard work, but to the exceptional team we’ve built around the world.
“Together, we’ve created a business with entrepreneurship embedded in its DNA, and I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who has played a part in this achievement.”
As well as the overall UK winner, the 2025 UK final also recognised the four other regional winners:
- Owen Coyle and Michael Sweeney of Union Technical Services were named the 2025 Scotland Region winner.
- Clare Roberts of Kids Planet Day Nurseries was named 2025 North Region winner.
- Gill Pearson of £100m global food business Newberry International Produce was named 2025 Midlands Region winner.
- First-generation British-Asian founder Simmy Dhillon was named 2025 South Region winner for his startup Simmer, which uses AI and data to optimise its supply chain and minimise food waste.
The judges also awarded special commendations to Scott Monks, of Rocksteady Music School, and Somayeh Taheri, founder of UrbanChain.
The other finalists were James O’Loan & Ricardo Laverty, of Chemist4U; Helen Cannon, founder ISON Travel, Management; and Eugene Tsyrklevich, founder and CEO, Parkopedia.