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 Kostas Samaras, Managing Director of L.T.E.S. LTD.
1. Please can you share three interesting facts about your company?
1: Our offices are conveniently located near Athens airport, right in the heart of the local community. Ironically, though, the public transport options to get here are some of the worst you can imagine. That’s probably why our employees are among the happiest to be working remotely!
2: LTES was born out of anxiety. For years, I worked as an employee and never really thought about starting my own company. But over time, I began to feel more responsible for the business and the people around me. That’s when I realised that running my own company might actually be less stressful. Of course, no business is completely stress-free, but I still believe it’s less stressful for me.
3: Our company name in English (L.T.E.S. – Language Technology and Education Services) does not match our name in Greek, which back translates to something like “Language and Education – Seminar Organization LTD.” Why the difference? Well, when we were setting up the company, our legal consultant had very strong opinions about the Greek name (for reasons I still don’t understand). After hours of back-and-forth, we just gave in. And to this day, we have never bothered to rectify this inconsistency! This is a top company secret — our clients must never know we suffer from inconsistencies in our own name!
2. What aspect of your company do you believe sets it apart from others in the industry?
I think the very origin of our company – as is often the case with the foundation of companies in general – gave us our unique identity, and it still shapes our culture today. Back in the early ’90s, one of the founders entered the world of Software Localization, while the other joined the Business English market.
At the time, both fields were new and highly specialised (we often had to explain to friends that we didn’t develop software and we were not a language school either!). Our expertise in these two areas naturally led to the creation of LTES. Developing both specialties side by side and the continuous focus on the cutting edge of both worlds helped us build a distinctive profile. It also allowed us to create valuable synergies between our two core activities, offer a more complete set of services to global customers, and maintain a more sustainable business.
3. What is something about your role that people might be surprised to learn?
People might be surprised to learn that I’m the office handyman. For me, working with my hands is a nice break from the mental work. I personally take care of, or manage, all the practical, technical tasks in the office.
4. What’s the most interesting or unusual client request you’ve ever received?
One of the most unusual requests we received was to translate someone’s wedding vows. It came from a regular client, so, naturally, we offered the service as a wedding gift.
5. If you were 18 now and thinking about going to university, what would you study? Would you choose a different field, knowing what you know now?
My university degree was in Math and my masters in AI. If I were 18 again, I might still choose those fields, but I’d probably drop out early to start a small company that would grow into a giant like Microsoft, Facebook, or Google. I still remember a conversation with a fellow student about founding an AI company back in the ’90s. Whether serious or just for fun, this discussion never turned into real action. Therefore, it is not the field of studies that I would choose differently.
6. What have been the greatest lessons you’ve learned from your years in the language industry?
The greatest benefit of being in the language industry over the years is the fact that the evolution of the industry, in other words, the evolution of our work gives us the best possible insight into the evolution of our world: Every change —from geopolitical shifts to market trends and scientific breakthroughs— gets reflected in our work, offering us unparalleled insight into the world’s transformation.
More importantly, though, over the years I have realised that our profession has also a significant impact on societies. The ability to make a positive impact is a tremendous challenge, especially in these turbulent times, and it’s a responsibility we must strive to fulfil.
Share your thoughts on Kostas’s story on our LinkedIn post!
Company name: L.T.E.S. LTD
Company website
Your name: Kostas Samaras
Your job title: Managing Director
