The interpreting sector has experienced excellent growth in recent years, and this trend is set to continue in the years to come. The necessity to expose the language barrier in research and development activities, the entry of new players, product innovation, technological advancements, effective resource allocation, and increased competition among company rivals to extend their regional as well as consumer base Simultaneous interpreting services are essential for bridging linguistic divides in international communication. Do you want to be certain that your customers and business associates receive your message just as you intended? Any major event involving two or more languages must have simultaneous interpreting. Additionally, simultaneous interpretation-as-a-service requires highly specialized expertise. As CEO of Mastervoice, Eric Bauwelinck has been providing audio-visual equipment, simultaneous translation, and remote simultaneous interpretation to corporate organizations since 1990.
The Route to the Destination
In 1990, Mr. Bauwelinck began working as a conference interpreter for multinational organizations. He has supported corporate organizations with simultaneous translation, audio-visual equipment, and remote simultaneous interpretation over the course of a long career that has lasted more than 30 years. For the remote interpreter, the consultant interpreter or agency, and the end customer, it is a cost-and time-effective alternative that also allows for the ability to organize the work from any workplace in the world. Outsiders may find onsite travel appealing, but if it is not for pleasure, it adds to the workload and wastes time that could be spent with the family or gaining more exposure as provider of simultaneous interpreting services. In the early stages of his career, Eric had to put together a whole team of interpreters and audio-visual operators. That was the beginning of the language solution business he started in 1998, called Mastervoice.
Mastervoice specializes in in-person, online, and hybrid meetings with remote simultaneous interpreting as main area of expertise. Simultaneous interpreting is not an extra expense; rather, it is a doorway to inclusiveness, global diversity, involvement, and corporate globalization. Reliable language experts are required in today’s globalized business environment to help organizations build relationships of trust and wide business prospects with their stakeholders, partners, and clients.
Mastervoice acts as a single point of contact for clients, providing fast and reliable support while steadily establishing consistency and confidence. To facilitate hybrid meetings from any location in any country, Eric and his team appreciate ties with audio-visual suppliers globally. Furthermore, they provide expert translation, transcription, and subtitling services using world-class language technology and a network of certified linguists to provide linguistic post-editing.
Strong Believer of Human Language vs Machine Language
Eric Bauwelinck has always had the drive and aspiration to make a difference, be recognized in the industry, collaborate with peers to share best practices, and provide added value to customers with dedicated project coordinators.. Voices from Above, a book about the transformation from on-site to online interpreting, was written and published by Eric. His personal interests include philosophy and language technology, and the magic of languages. He considers human language to be a special gift that has the power to alter and shape ideas, people, and even entire industries.
“I am a strong believer in human language technology to globalize business.” -Eric says.
Defining Responsibilities
Early morning and late-night meditation practices enable Eric to clear his thoughts and reconsider methods, possibilities, and problems in daily life and work. Outside of work Eric enjoys lifting weights at the gym or punching a heavy bag to empty his mind and relieve tension. He is of the opinion that fretting about things you cannot control or change is pointless. If you put enough time and effort into your goals, you can achieve them. Instead of fretting about aims you have not been able to achieve, he believes that the majority of obstacles can be turned into opportunities. In order to meet and exceed customer expectations, Eric also uses defined protocols to handle challenges with human resources, qualification, and service levels.
Overcoming Barriers and challenges as strategic mission
The current market’s pressure on prices, mixed with the increased demand for interpreter services following the health crises of 2020 and 2021 are particularly challenging today. Mastervoice views this challenge as a chance to emphasize the importance of fair competition, equal opportunities, and the ability of renegotiating terms and conditions to remain competitive in the very demanding industry niche of simultaneous interpreting. At the beginning of the health crisis, Eric and his team came to the conclusion that working with established and proven RSI solutions was preferable to developing proprietary applications, resulting in successful strategic partnerships in remote simultaneous interpreting solutions.
The policy to offer interpreting as core business regardless of the language technology employed to deliver that service is still part of their long-term goal as an independent provider of simultaneous interpreting. Additionally, it gives them access to the world’s top language technology providers, which is a huge benefit and value addition for the corporate and institutional clients.
The Attributes of Being Successful
Eric believes that instead of merely understanding the succession of operational processes you must take to accomplish your goals, you truly need to have a holistic perspective on interpreting-as-a-service. The expertise you need to succeed unquestionably includes the capacity to adapt, listen, and act under pressure. As a business leader, Eric feels that you should always be on the lookout for opportunities, collaborations, and, most importantly, pay attention to your customers, suppliers, and workers. Additionally, he thinks that the key to helping others is to listen and take action based on authentic feedback rather than lecturing or upselling.
Guidance to Leaders
In Eric’s opinion, the older generation of interpreters, who have grown accustomed to posh hotels, lovely conference spaces, and the comfort that once came with high-end corporate and institutional meetings, are considerably less prepared for the current change and growth in the interpreting business models. Despite this, he is a big proponent of equal opportunities, and the interpreting industry is one of the few professions where you can communicate effectively with the vast majority of qualified language service providers regardless of your age, sex, religion, nationality, or level of expertise. In today’s competitive market, the interpreter is a self-made entrepreneur who recognizes the need to provide excellent customer service and is prepared to go above and beyond.. He advises that in today’s uncertain world, especially amid concerns of war or an impending economic crisis, having goodwill and a positive outlook is priceless.
Quote: I am a strong believer in human language technology to globalize business.
Written by Steve Sanchez.
