SUMMARY

Solution-oriented, multilingual translation industry veteran with a focus on high-level client management and managing large-scale foreign-language projects. Expert at breaking down complex assignments into manageable tasks, managing project teams scattered around the world, and meeting challenging deadlines. Excellent production and organizational skills; superb research skills; superior computer skills. 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

May 2011 – Present CEO, CoreText Group LLC, New York City.

I founded my business in order to be able to expand my service offerings for direct clients by working with a group of carefully vetted linguists. My approach is to curate collaborative teams for each client account, which allows me to maintain consistency and continuity over time. 

Services include:

• Web, database and social media research for private investigation firms, authors and journalists in 50+ languages.

• Pre-deal due diligence for law firms, searching for “red flags” and other pertinent information.

• Document translation, editing, proofreading, QA and typesetting in the areas of philanthropy, arts and activism, sustainability (SDGs), law, finance, intelligence, technology, business, reproductive health, HR, jewelry, market research, social sciences, journalism, engineering.

• On-site interpreting for meetings, presentations and depositions in North America and Central Europe. Includes equipment rental and travel/lodging arrangements.

• Remote interpreting with multiple interpreter teams via Zoom and other platforms for trainings and workshops in the US, Europe and Africa. 

• Coordination of virtual conferences and events, including creation of on-screen graphics and videos, set-up of studio equipment in a flexible workspace, and Zoom “stage management”.

April 2006 – May 2011 Freelance Translation and Localization Specialist, New York City.

• Dutch ↔ English translation, editing, proofreading and QA in the areas of arts and humanities, business, cosmetics, journalism, entertainment, HR, law, market research, social sciences, travel and tourism, healthcare, life sciences.

• Dutch ↔ English interpreting and on-site document review (incl. sight translations) for law firms, at business meetings and corporate presentations. Experience includes biotech depositions in Singapore; international investigations, finance and pharma depositions in New York City; document review in the areas of agribusiness, banking, medical devices, pharma and telecom.

• Bilingual (Dutch/English) studio supervision for subtitling and voice-over sessions.

• Workflow planning and coordination of complex foreign-language projects in any language for various translation agencies. Project analysis and quote preparation. Deal closing. Staffing, scheduling, team training and leadership. Quality control. Client relationship management. 

May 2008 – June 2008 Freelance Production Manager, New York City.

• Set up shoot for TV Asahi (Japan) documentary about the Atomic Bomb. Duties included historical research, procuring archival footage, hiring production staff, location scouting, scheduling, accounting, travel arrangements, overseeing casting, wardrobe and props, and Japanese ↔ English interpreting for on-camera interviews.

June 1997 – April 2006 Vice President – Legal Translation Services, LanguageWorks, New York City.

(previously: Account Executive and Account Manager)

• Successfully built up the first industry vertical in the company.

• Marketed legal translation services to New York’s top law firms.

• Developed and oversaw new accounts in the legal and financial services industries.

• Managed a team of project managers, specialized in legal translation projects.

• Recruited and trained new team members, and allocated work.

• Monitored and measured employee performance.

• Managed relationships, identified project requirements and created quotes for high-profile legal and Japanese clients.

• Designed customized workflows and implemented improvements in production.

• Recruited and placed linguists from around the world on-site at law firms for document review, interpreting and translation projects.

• Organized targeted marketing campaigns, including streamlining mass mailings to law firms.

• Met with legal clients, and bid on large translation projects.

• Represented the company at trade shows.

• Shaped corporate direction with departmental managers in Executive Management Team.

• Assisted company President with due diligence when considering acquisition of an overseas translation company. 

August 1990 – June 1997 Vice President, Office Kei, New York City.

• Segment Producer/Production Manager. Set up shoots for Japanese networks in the USA and Europe. Duties included hiring and managing crew and production staff, budgeting and accounting, overseeing all aspects of production including scheduling, location scouting, casting, wardrobe and props.

• Assistant Producer. Generated and developed program ideas for weekly Japanese prime-time show about worldwide television. In charge of research and acquisitions in North and South America. 

• Director; Assistant Director; Reporter. 

• Manager of TV airchecks in the USA and Japan for major European TV producer.

• Buyer of radio rights to rock concerts for Japan’s largest FM radio station.

EDUCATION

Fall 1983 – Spring 1990 M.A. in Japanese Language and Culture, Leiden University, The Netherlands. Master’s thesis titled: “Omodaka-ya! Ichikawa Ennosuke III—The Success of a Kabuki Actor in Modern-Day Japan”. 

• Fall 1988 – Summer 1989 Recipient of Netherlands Ministry of Education and Science scholarship.

Research on Japanese Theater at Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan.

• July 1985 – July 1986 Internship at Nagasaki Holland Village in Southern Japan.

Summer 1982 European Baccalaureate, European School, Bergen (NH), The Netherlands.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Fluent Dutch, English

Excellent Japanese (spoken and written)

Good French, German

Basic Spanish, Modern Greek

Elementary Portuguese

COMPUTER SET-UP AND SKILLS

iMac and MacBook Air running Parallels and Windows 10 virtual machine. Expert user of MS Office, SDL Trados Studio, Adobe Acrobat, Abbyy FineReader, Keynote, FTP apps, Zoom, OBS Studio, StreamDeck. Excellent formatting skills. Internet research wizard.

INTERESTS

Travel (Europe, Middle East, Asia, United States, Central America, Africa), Talent Scouting and Event Production, Performing Arts, Greek classes (since 2017), Fitness, Baking, Biking.

REFERENCES

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/susanna-mitton/1/630/631 and available upon request.