Welcome back to “The Voices Behind the Words: Member Spotlight” – an exciting new interview series where we shine a light on the diverse stories and experiences of our members.
Each interview will delve into the unique perspectives of industry professionals like yourself, offering insights, anecdotes, and reflections on their journey within the language industry. Get ready to meet the faces and voices shaping our community, one conversation at a time.
Our next interview is with Ioannis Kassios, Managing Director of TECHNOGRAFIA:
- Can you share three interesting facts about your company?
TECHNOGRAFIA has been around since 2007, and it comprises two words: TECHNO- and -GRAFIA, meaning technical writing. This twofold meaning and essence actually mirrors the two partners, Evi Karaouli and Ioannis. Coincidence or not, it is also based in two countries, Greece and Cyprus, the respective origins of Ioannis and Evi.
We are active around the world and always embrace new ideas, with one of the most interesting being the co-organizing of the GoAP Conference in Seoul in 2019; thus, actively, and physically present on two continents as well, Europe and Asia.
- What aspect of your company do you believe sets it apart from others in the industry?
TECHNOGRAFIA has always been a linguist-run agency, closer to ‘a team of translators’ than a strict business entity active in the translation industry. That said, we are very much tech-savvy and among the few translation agencies worldwide that invest in an R&D unit; TECHNOGRAFIA has been part of the translate5 Consortium since 2021.
- What could you have done (for a career) if you hadn’t done this?
After so many years in the translation industry, I would very much like to become a Sign Language translator; not so much for a career, but to be able to help people. If I were to start all over again, I would definitely become a kindergarten teacher!
- What’s the toughest part of your job, and how do you overcome it?
I think that the most difficult part of my job are all the “pre-“s, such as predicting (the future), preparing (for the unexpected), preventing (what might go wrong) etc., which I try to tackle simply by doing my best for my team and our clients.
- If you were to create a slogan or tagline for your company using only emojis, what would it be?
❤️👓🚀🌪️ Love is for what we do, Glasses for constantly educating and developing ourselves as professionals, Rocket is for trying and exploring new things and the Tornado is for our passion and innovation spirit.
- What is your view on the current state of the language industry?
The language industry undergoes frequent transformations, occurring approximately every decade, or so. The advent of LLMs has significantly impacted the industry, causing uncertainty for LSPs and translators about its future course and the practical impact on business.
LLMs are undoubtedly here to stay, serving as a valuable asset for both the translation industry and its clients. While transitioning from traditional language approaches to data-driven methods may seem daunting, and despite the current concealed turmoil, I’m confident that the industry will be able to meet clients’ expectations by leveraging technology that fulfils their needs and expectations.
Company name: TECHNOGRAFIA
Company website: www.technografia.com
Name: Ioannis Kassios
Job title: Managing Director
