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 Alina Birsan, Founding Manager at AB Language Solutions. Discover how her love for languages and people led her from protocol officer to entrepreneur, and how she brings her passion for teamwork and project management to ELIA’s Focus on PM conferences.
What was the most unexpected job or role you’ve had before joining the language services industry, and how did it shape your career?
As a child, when asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I used to answer, “A guest,” because I always enjoyed interacting with people and communicating. Later, I fell in love with languages and cultures.
Fast forward two decades later, my first job was Protocol Officer within the Romanian Home Office, working directly with the Minister himself, taking care of his international guests. I was responsible for managing events and communicating with all types of foreign delegations to Romania. It fit me like a glove.
Within the first month of working, I had various consecutive interpreting assignments to assist officials to better understand and communicate in their meetings. The most stressful moment was when I was assigned to interpret, by myself, all alone in a dark old dusty booth for foreign ambassadors to my country, a pretty important large meeting. I was young, scared, never studied languages and had no clue how to do it, but eventually managed honourably—at least this is what they said 🙈
As an only child raised by a strong willed grandmother, inspired by an entrepreneurial father, and educated in management, I found it incredibly difficult to take orders. After nearly three intense years, I resigned and put on the challenging entrepreneurial cape.
If your company were a person, what kind of personality would it have and why?
Our kitchen motto is “A TEAM is a group of people who TRUST each other” and we have defined our most important values in 5 words on which we assess whoever joins our team so that we don’t lose what we have managed to build so far. I have asked my team to describe this personality and it goes like this: based on empathy, an essential trait to identify swift and tailored solutions to the diverse needs of our clients. The main traits of this personality would be fun, always bringing good vibes, honing harmony and team spirit at any moment, while passionately working with a smile on her face. It’s a SHE personality 😉
Tell us about the ELIA committee or initiative you lead. What’s its main goal and why is it important for the industry?
I have successfully chaired ELIA’s Focus on PM conferences from 2020 to date, and contributed to the programme committee for ELIA & ATC Project Management eLearning Course, as well as speaker for the Communication track on this.
I am convinced that the engine of our industry is our project management superpower and that the glue to all stakeholders is communication. Focus on PM is the only PM dedicated event in the entire language industry landscape and empowers companies with better human power.
The pandemic challenged ELIA’s old ways of doing things, creating space for increased collaboration and new initiatives. One such initiative is the Focus Forward webinar series, where our community benefits from the insightful sessions led by members generously sharing their knowledge in different areas of expertise. Most webinars are recorded, allowing members to access them at their own pace and according to their specific needs or interests.
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Name: Alina Birsan
Company: AB Language Solutions
Company LinkedIn
