About me ...

Bio

Born and raised in the UK, I have lived in French-speaking countries for more than twenty years and adopted dual British-French nationality in 2018.

Genuinely bilingual and bicultural, my unique personal, academic and professional background ensures that my work is unrivalled in quality and precision.

Education

1994

First Class MA (Hons) from the University of Glasgow (Scotland) in Political Philosophy, English and French.

1997

Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures (DES) in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International Studies (Geneva) specialising Political Science, History and Law.

2012

Post-Graduate Certificate (Distinction) from the University of Portsmouth in Translation Studies.

Employment

Two years working for the international NGO the Anti-Racism Information Service (ARIS) in Geneva helping NGOs access the UN legislative machinery on anti-racism gave me an understanding of the United Nations instruments and its various committee structures.

Three years as a researcher in the Migration Branch of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) investigating the application of international labour conventions on migrant workers gave me a thorough understanding of international labour legislation and human rights. My post involved three months working in the South East Asia and Pacific Offices of the ILO analysing gender equality legislation.

Three years as Senior Public Relations Officer with the Commission for Racial Equality in the UK allowed me to apply my understanding of equality issues in the workplace. I established and led the first CRE Scotland press team, provided media advice to the Scottish Commissioner and responded to media inquiries.

Three years in the Scottish Government as Senior Press Officer to the Ministers for Health and Communities, providing media handling advice to senior civil servants and Ministers helped me fine-tune my writing skills and gave me insight into a vast range of government policies.

I established my freelance translation business in 2009. I apply the skills I gained through my academic and professional career to benefit my clients on a daily basis. I work for a wide variety of clients includeing Government departments, international NGOs, international organisations, universities, translation agencies and individuals.

For the past two years, I have also taught part-time at the Université de Jean Monnet to students in the Masters programme in Translation and Interpretation, dispensing courses in Specialist Translation and Translation for Business.

Professional accreditations

Qualified Member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (MITI)
Full Member of the Société Française des Traducteurs (SFT), France's professional translator's association
Approved translator for Translators Without Borders
Proz.com Certified Pro Translator

Tools and training

SDL Studio Trados 2017
Ongoing CPD including attending conferences and seminars, and following MOOCs in my specialist areas, translation itself and business management.