Welcome back to “The Voices Behind the Words: Member Spotlight” – our interview series shining a light on the diverse stories and experiences of our members. 

Our next interview is with Thomas Prins, CEO at Global textware.

1. Please can you share three interesting facts about your company?

Global textware is a family business with a father and two sons in the company.

Global textware has 5 in-house translators with combined experience of close to a hundred years (95.8, next year will be 100).

Global textware has a student program where we hire students as assistant project managers. They can learn what we do in a translation agency while also training future candidates for full time positions.

2. What aspect of your company do you believe sets it apart from others in the industry?

The people who you have in the company create the difference and sets you apart from others. A personal approach and working side by side with your clients to set up a smooth collaboration that is beneficial to both. 

Also having the ability to automate most processes and create efficiency which helps in spending time with the client and get to know their exact wishes.

3. How do you maintain work-life balance in a demanding industry like ours?

This can be tricky, especially with a baby of just a few months old. But by getting up early in the morning (5.30) I can spend time with my daughter. In the evening it can be more difficult from time to time, but I try to prioritise most tasks and work on those necessary for the current day. Sometimes this results in being home a bit late, but the hours at home are not spent on work anymore. 

A few days a week I go to the gym to clear my head (early before work or right after, before going home), which helps maintain the right work-life balance.

4. What’s your go-to karaoke song and why?

Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond, a few years ago I joined a baseball team and within this team all songs that are created are usually based on this song or this is our go-to song for karaoke when we attend any kind of event with our team.

5. If you hadn’t pursued a career in the language industry, what alternative career path might you have taken?

My career path could have taken me in many directions. Already from a young age I believed in being an entrepreneur. Albeit that at first I wanted to start my own gym. Even started with sport studies to get there, but along the way found different interests and joined the Navy for a while before ending up studying to be an accountant. Perhaps I would have been an accountant if not for my current path in the language industry, but it also could have been a controller or other financial function in a company. 

Alongside the translation industry I’m currently also active in the bio-industry with algae. This is with a few friends of mine.

6. What’s one thing you wish more people knew about the language industry?

The actual work and expertise we deliver as a Language Service Provider. A lot of times people have the idea that the service we deliver is just a translation from one language to another. But the expertise of the local market, using the right terminology and helping companies set foot in different countries is something special. I believe this is something we can promote more to the world outside of the language industry.

Company name: Global textware
Company website: https://www.globaltextware.nl/nl/
Name: Thomas Prins
Job title: CEO