I never set out to be an influencer; I just sought to share knowledge with colleagues. When the pandemic hit, thousands of interpreters found themselves struggling to understand one of the biggest shifts our profession has ever seen: remote interpreting. I teamed up with a colleague to start a free weekly webinar series. That eventually developed into a monthly series that has included 45+ webinars and counting.

Though I loved exploring and teaching about the most cutting-edge developments in our profession, I knew colleagues had incredible contributions to share. So the Innovation in Translation and Innovation in Interpreting Summits were born. Since 2021, I’ve run three editions of each, with the latest AI in Translation Summit drawing over 7,500 participants.

It has been an honor and pleasure to create a forum where thousands of colleagues can share their knowledge and learn from one another. Because at the end of the day, we learn best together. I’ve just changed the venues — from one-on-one conversations in interpreting booths or a quick coffee chat with a fellow translator to a platform where colleagues from across the globe can come together to learn and grow.

None of this would have been possible without the many trailblazing colleagues with whom I have collaborated — especially Alexander Drechsel, Jost Zetzsche, Kerstin Cable, and Nora Díaz — as well as the thousands of peers who inspire me to keep geeking out about the latest tools that will shape the future of our profession.

It is a true honor to be recognized alongside so many talented language professionals. Even more importantly, I am honored to have touched so many colleagues’ lives and helped our profession move into the 21st century.