Making the (business) case for professional translation

Alun Gruffydd MITI

Biography

Alun Gruffydd MITI is the director of Bla Translation Ltd, a Welsh translation company based in Anglesey. From sole trader to a company with 10 employees within six years, Bla Translation recently won a prestigious Best Business in North Wales award. His early career was in archaeology, museums and the heritage sector but qualified as a translator during that time. This dabbling in translation led to a leap into the profession full-time in 2013 when the urge to run his own business became too powerful.

Chris Durban FITI

Chris Durban is a freelance translator (French to English) based in Paris, where she specialises in publication-level texts for demanding clients, primarily in business strategy and financial/corporate communications. Her client portfolio includes some of Europe’s top corporations as well as government, regulatory and regional development agencies. A member of SFT and a Fellow of ITI, she is also the co-founder and co-organizer of UETF, SFT’s summer school for financial translators, as well as the Translate in… series of seminars for translators keen to hone their writing skills. Chris has written many articles about translation, targeting both peers and clients, and has given talks and workshops around the world. She is a former board member and president of SFT, and also served on the ATA board. She translates almost every day, and enjoys it immensely.

Nicki Bone MITI

Nicki graduated with an Honours Degree in Modern Languages from Coventry Polytechnic (now University) and then spent over 20 years working in international sales and marketing before becoming a freelance translator in 2013. She is a Qualified Member of ITI (FR>EN, DE>EN) and Chair of the ITI Board.

Nicki provides translation, proofreading and commercial language services from French, Spanish, German and Italian into English.

With her extensive commercial experience and knowledge, she is a firm believer in enhancing the professional aspects and perceived commercial value of the translation industry.

Sara Robertson ITI CEO

Sara initially trained as an architect at Edinburgh College of Art where she specialised in historic building conservation. Having undertaken the SPAB Lethaby Scholarship in 2002 she spent the early years of her career honing her skills in conservation policy and practice in various roles at the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. Leading the award-winning Faith in Maintenance project was a highlight from this time. In 2015, she left SPAB to take up a strategic policy role as Head of Historic Environment at the Heritage Lottery Fund before returning to the voluntary sector to become Chief Executive at Icon (the Institute of Conservation) in January 2019.

In May 2023 Sara moved into a new sector, taking up the post of Chief Executive at the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI). Although she is not a linguist, she has a long-standing enthusiasm for languages, and harbours an ambition to brush up her German skills. Her voluntary role as a Council member of Europa Nostra (a pan-European cultural heritage charity) brings her into contact with professionals working in the cultural heritage sector from all corners of Europe and has taught her the value of timely, effective, accurate and trust-worthy communication between those who speak different languages. She is therefore proud to be an advocate for the vital services provided by translators and interpreters.

: ayrshirelass