Paige Bolus

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? 

PB: I am originally from Pennsylvania. I went to college in New York, where I met my now husband, and then lived in both New York and New Jersey. We now live in Florida and have been here for almost a year. 

I have been at GLAS for four years. Before moving to Florida, I was in the New Jersey office quite frequently, and now I work fully remotely. 

I love spending time with my one-year-old son Kadin, my husband, and our black lab, Brodie. I also enjoy playing golf, being outdoors, spending time at the pool or the beach, and catching up with family and friends. 

I live a very active lifestyle. I grew up playing sports, and staying active remains important to me. I work out regularly and enjoy any opportunity to get outside and keep moving. 

What achievement are you most proud of in your career to date?

PB: I would say my biggest achievement, and my biggest obstacle, was passing my Series 7 financial services exam. I passed my Series 63 on the first try, but the Series 7 was a difficult exam for me. I have never been the best test taker, and my nerves would often get the better of me.

When I finally passed, it felt like confirmation that I was good enough and smart enough to do this. At the time, I was working in the bond market, where those certifications are essential for certain roles. Passing gave me a huge confidence boost. 

Can you tell us about your role as Assistant Vice President, in Client Services?  

PB: I have specific focus on trade settlements. I facilitate the settlement of trades for our actively traded deals, meaning transactions on deals that are traded daily or on a frequent basis. 

Two people who report to me on the team, so a large part of my day-to-day role involves reviewing their work and making sure they feel supported. If they have questions or need help interpreting something such as the assignment and assumption section of a credit agreement, I am there to assist. 

I am also involved when syndication deals come in and there are a large number of primary trades that need to settle quickly. I help prepare the team by making sure KYC documents, lender builds and communication with our support group are all on track. 

Our team has also recently taken on servicing responsibilities, so alongside our daily trade settlement work, we are beginning to service the actively traded deals that we cover. It is still a relatively new responsibility for the team, but it is becoming an important part of our role. 

What lessons from teaching and coaching have you carried into your role today? 

PB: Patience is a big one. Everyone has a different learning curve and learns at a different pace. I developed that understanding from a young age because I used to help teach dance classes. 

I worked with children of all ages, from around three years old to 13, and quickly learned that no two people learn in the same way. You have to be patient and adapt your approach to each individual. 

I apply that in my role today. When my analyst, Noah, joined the team, I made a conscious effort to take things slowly and check in regularly. I have learned that it is much more effective to pause throughout the process and ask whether someone understands or would like anything explained again. 

Can you tell us about your career path and what led you to join GLAS?  

PB: I started my career in private wealth at Janney Montgomery Scott before moving into capital markets, where I spent three years on a trading floor specialising in corporate bonds and earned my Series 7 and Series 63 licences. 

After transitioning to fixed income operations at Jennison Associates,I was approached about an opportunity at GLAS. Although I had a trading and fixed income background, loans were completely new to me. 

What stood out during the interview process was meeting Mia and Yana. I was surprised to be interviewing with the CEO, but it showed me how invested GLAS was in its people. I was also drawn to the close-knit culture. Having always worked at smaller firms and having grown up helping in my dad’s family-run trucking business, that environment felt like a natural fit. 

After meeting the team, I knew it was the right opportunity. I was honest about having no loan experience, but GLAS was willing to take a chance on me. My attitude was simple: “I’ve never worked in loans before, but I will learn. Watch me.” 

You have experience across accounting, wealth management and institutional fixed income. How did these experiences shape your career?

PB: I think those experiences shaped my career significantly. When I moved into the capital markets side at Janney and worked in a trade support role, a lot of what I was doing was very similar to what I do today. That experience helped me understand what I was good at and, more importantly, what I genuinely enjoyed doing. 

I truly enjoy my work, and I do not think everyone can say that about their career. I am not just doing it for a salary; I genuinely like what I do. 

My time on the trading floor was also incredibly valuable because it was such a client-facing environment. I was speaking with salespeople’s clients, attending sales calls, working closely with traders every day, and building relationships across the industry. 

That experience has helped me throughout my career and especially in my role at GLAS. It taught me how important it is to build relationships and gave me the confidence to do that with clients and contacts across the industry. 

What skills do you think are most important for success in a client services role? 

PB: Being good at the job is not enough anymore. You also need to be personable. 

If two candidates are similar in terms of talent and skills, the person who can build a connection, hold a natural conversation and make themselves memorable can really stand out. 

In this role, you need to be able to build relationships, not just perform the day-to-day tasks well. The technical side is important, but so is being client-facing, memorable and trusted. 

Ultimately, you want people to think, “Let me call Paige; she’ll get this done.” 

How has GLAS supported your professional development?  

PB: Work-life balance has been one of the biggest ways GLAS has supported my professional development, particularly since becoming a mum. The flexibility the firm has given me has allowed me to balance my career and personal life in a way I do not see at many other firms in the industry. 

GLAS was willing to have open conversations about what I needed and work with me to find the right solution. Because of that, I do not feel burnt out or like I am just a number, which can often be the case at larger organisations. 

The culture genuinely values work-life balance and encourages people to take breaks and use their time off. I think that support benefits everyone professionally and has played a big role in helping me succeed in my career.