Travel to Montreal to meet Morgane Harmignies, Lionbridge’s Community Management Business Partner. In her role, Morgane enjoys working with our global partners and internal teams. When she’s not working, she enjoys capoeira, a Brazilian martial art practice.

Tell us a little about your role at Lionbridge.

I started at Lionbridge in 2007 as a project manager, and I’ve been on the community management team for over 11 years. In that time, I’ve worked as a Community Manager for Canada, the United States, Brazil and Latin America—so I’ve covered the whole region for the Americas. I’m always fascinated by the specificities of each market, which lets me refine my approach on markets I am less familiar with.

I’ve also worked on leading our team for test translations and improving our test translation processes, collaborating with our sales and solutions teams to produce test translations for RFPs or other opportunities. I also love working on creative opportunities: The variety of roles I’ve held at Lionbridge helps me develop custom solutions for our customers. I’m currently working in a new role where I improve community management global processes to adjust to our evolving business reality.

What do you enjoy most about working in community management?

I love how many different skills I’ve been able to learn by working in different roles with different responsibilities and teams. Being able to grow and learn in my job has always been very important to me. I also love being able to work with people based all around the world. I have studied anthropology, history and European RFP and project management and I’ve been able to use these skills in all of my community management roles.

What I love about working at Lionbridge is I’m always learning something new, because the company is always evolving. I’m excited to meet new challenges on a regular basis as it allows me to grow as both an individual and as a professional.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

My working days are rarely alike—a typical day would be to adapt and adjust as best I can to the priorities of the moment. I needed to learn to prioritize who needs my support the most and to think of backup solutions when competing priorities appear.

Where do you live and what do you enjoy most about it?

I’m French and I’ve lived in Montreal, Canada since 2002. It’s a very international city, so I can meet people from anywhere in the world. In Montreal, people typically are easy-going, and I can learn a lot about other cultures. Montreal is also a very dynamic city where it is easy to meet entrepreneurs who fascinate me. We also have great restaurants and amazing natural parks in the province of Quebec.

Morgane Harmignies, Lionbridge Community Management Business Partner

If a tourist was visiting your city, what is one thing they shouldn’t miss?

Because of my love for history, I would definitely bring a tourist to the Old Montreal, because there’s a lot of history there. In Old Montreal, there’s an old port, an old market and lots of different activities to do, like a zip line or paddling at a small beach. History and modernity coexist together there, and I think it’s magical. As I’ve mentioned earlier, there are also many entrepreneurs in Montreal, so it’s great to see what’s new in the city or eat in a new fancy restaurant.

Favorite local saying?

Je me souviens—it’s on our license plates. It roughly translates to, “I remember where I come from, and where I’m heading.” It may sound cliché, but joining the past with the present to build the future is an ideal balance for me. This way, the evolution of ideas happens smoothly, in harmony with the learnings from the past while addressing the needs of the future.

Do you speak any languages besides English? If so, which ones?

I’ve learned seven of them, but I only practice actively two—my native language, which is French, and English. I’ve learned Spanish, German, Italian, Arabic and a little Latin. It helps me to read source files, resumes or communications from our partners sometimes—I don’t need to Google everything. So that’s handy in my role.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Capoeira! It’s a Brazilian martial art that combines dance, acrobatics and music. You’re activating every muscle in your body and working on flexibility and coordination. As you practice in group, you sing in Portuguese and practice instruments that are proper to capoeira. It’s kind of an intimate gathering when you meet with people who practice capoeira.

What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

Show what you do, and explain what you are doing so people can understand it. It is also a great way to bring awareness on some important topics. You never know—at some point, it may make a difference.