AI Magazine Issue 1 2017

48 Acquisition International - January 2017 Lionbridge is celebrating its 20th year in business and is based in Boston, MA. They combine their undoubted technologies and skills in different ways, to respond to the needs of various industries. We spoke to Lionbridge’s CEO who reveals more about the largest translation and global content management company in the world, as well as their thoughts on winning the prestigious CEO of the Year 2016 - UK award. an you outline what your company does and your role as CEO in heading it up? For technology companies, Lionbridge ensures that products look and feel ‘local.’ For law firms, we translate global contracts and compliance documents. For auto companies, we manage the publishing of glove box materials as well as world-wide service bulletins. Regarding my role, I’m a pretty typical CEO. I balance the interests of thousands of global and local customers, our 6,000 employees in 35 countries, and our institutional and private investors. Can you elaborate on the areas your company specialises in? We concentrate on the intersection of globalisation and digitisation. Our founding markets were localisation and testing of software and the translation of the product content associated with those technologies. As all business processes globalise and digitise, we are applying that knowledge to all sorts of industries and applications. For example, we have added capabilities around digital marketing services to help our customers meet the new requirements of managing a consistent global customer experience. Today our capabilities span the entire multi-channel needs of our customers, from software and tech pubs, to marketing and customer-care channels. What kind of clients does your firm serve and how do you approach them? Lionbridge operates in 35 countries and work with clients across a variety of different sectors, as localising content and products is an issue that affects almost every business working on a global scale. Our clients are diverse, we serve large corporations, such as Microsoft, Rolls Royce and Google, as well as small to medium size businesses. Our customers span across all verticals from the tech sector to regulated industries such as financial services and life sciences. We approach our clients as partners having to work as an extension of our clients’ businesses. So, when we approach clients, we make sure we do so as peers and co–workers rather than just as a vendor. How does it feel to have been awarded CEO of the Year 2016 - UK? I feel incredibly privileged to have been recognised with the CEO of the year award. While it is an honour to receive the award, it truly is a reflection of the wider company and of how well we operate as a team. A CEO is only as successful as their team and Lionbridge has some of the sharpest minds in the business. Can you tell us how the business is going and the challenges you face at the helm of it? This year proved to be very successful for us, as we continue strengthen our products and services offerings, whilst re-organising into strategic business units. This initiative has located decision- making close to the customer and is resulting in customised solutions. Another achievement for Lionbridge this year has been the ability to live in the present, and the future. We continue to optimise for existing business models, while cloud-based technology innovations are enabling a new generation of applications Company: Lionbridge Technologies Name: Rory J. Cowan Web: www.lionbridge.com Address: 1050 Winter Street Suite 2300 Waltham, MA 02451 Phone: +1 781-790-4099 TheWorld’s Largest Translation and Global Content Management Company C 1608BW67 “I am honoured to have won this award, and look forward to continuing to lead some of the brightest minds in this ever-evolving industry .”