Welcome back to our interview series with the ELIA Board of Directors! In this series, we’ll get to know the personal and professional journeys of our board members, explore their roles within their companies, and learn more about how they contribute to their ELIA committees.
Our next feature is Diego Cresceri, CEO and Founder of Creative Words.
What was the most unexpected job or role you’ve had before joining the language services industry, and how did it shape your career?
When I was 22, I moved to Germany for 10 months, and in order to support my studies I started working as a waiter. I soon ended up being the personal driver of the restaurant’s boss. The experience was definitely an interesting one and I learned a lot:
- Physical resistance
- How not to sleep for days without crashing your car
- How to try and pretend you did not get a speed ticket while your boss is sleeping
On a serious note, that experience taught me a lot about how to deal with people, stand up for my values and the boss I do not want to be.
If your company were a person, what kind of personality would it have and why?
The first thought is a mad scientist. We pride ourselves on being a lab of continuous experimentation, and we keep testing to stay abreast of new technologies and services. Just as a scientist keeps experimenting without fear of failure until he or she finds the right formula, we test our language solutions without fear of treading uncharted territory, creating the magic potion to meet our customers’ needs. We apply this “creative madness” to every aspect of the business, from managing people to delivering our services.
Can you tell us about the ELIA committee or initiative you lead. What’s its main goal and why is it important for the industry?
One of my duties at ELIA is representing the association within the LIND group. LIND Language Industry Expert Group consists of language industry experts providing DG Translation of the European Commission with expertise in language industry matters in the field of translation, language data and language technologies. As part of the group, I am involved in different initiatives, including increasing the attraction of future professionals to the industry and working closely with the EMT Network to make sure translation programs match the industry’s talent needs.
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Name: Diego Cresceri
Company: Creative Words
Company LinkedIn
