About

Direction: Alkemist

Interview with Saša Gorše, Director of Alkemist Translation Company

You studied abroad, where you also acquired your first work experience. Now you are the director of a translation company. How would you describe your path?

 I never stopped following my dreams. Of course, I never imagined that I would one day be managing a successful translation company, but foreign countries have always had a particular appeal for me in terms of culture and language – I wanted to experience new things. Over the course of my studies, I formed many new acquaintances from all over the world. I find it invaluable that I was able to gain insight into the culture and values of the individual nations that I had the opportunity to get to know better. Italians taught me to be myself, though I had to learn Italian first (laughs). In Sweden, great emphasis is placed on lifelong education, general knowledge, and the ethics and culture of business.

 Egypt was definitely the hardest. I worked with highly educated people fluent in at least two foreign languages, so communicating with them was not a problem. Their culture, however, was something completely new to me. When I arrived there, I was sure that it would be impossible for me to forget anything about Egypt when I left. And yet, by getting to know better their customs, beliefs, everyday lives, manner of work, and by discovering the country’s natural beauty and history, I have forever left a piece of myself there.

 Has your rich experience in the service sector helped you raise the level of satisfaction of Alkemist’s clients? What does Alkemist want to offer to its clients?

 Certainly, every experience helped. It is important the way tea is served, how the telephone is answered, or what kind of impression an event that you organised made on the participants, and here at Alkemist, we believe the same – the way we “serve” you the translation is important. We strive to provide five-star service allowing our clients to obtain quick and clear information on translations along with maximum flexibility. The trust and satisfaction of a client whom we helped to solve the unsolvable is our greatest reward. Thanks to our project managers and our team of experienced translators and interpreters from around the world, we are able to stand by your side even in unpredictable situations. Our service grew alongside our clients in response to their needs, and now our native speakers of foreign languages make it possible for us to offer you all translation services in one place – where you need them.

 You have recently complemented your offer with 30 languages. New developments are a constant, one such example being your office in New York. What is the direction you have envisioned for Alkemist?

 I see the Alkemist Translation Company as being number one in translation services in Europe. I truly believe that. We will be visiting New York for the third time this autumn. There, we will be opening a new office to strengthen our cooperation with our existing clients and the American Translators Association. The meeting place of everything we have done in these past five years is – and remains – the Alkemist Foundation.

 

The interview was published in The Alkemist Magazine, the 1st Translation Magazine in Southeast Europe, vol 01, june 2009.