Meet the Pride: Stephen S.

In this installation of our Meet the Pride Series, travel to the Sunny South East of Ireland and meet Stephen S., Lionbridge's VP of Language Services. From managing internal specialists to maintaining our Translation Community, and tying it all together, Stephen oversees all things Service. When he's not working, Stephen loves to swim, cycle, cook, bake, spend time with his family, and explore the Irish countryside.

Tell us about your role at Lionbridge. 

I’m the Senior VP of Language Services. Essentially what this means is that I handle the strategy behind our services – how we operate, how we present ourselves to customers, and things like that. Recently, we’ve been pivoting toward a new approach that has really changed the dynamic of our team and my role within it. For a long time, our global teams have been fragmented, and a lot of my work these days is focused on bringing together these cross-functional specialists to create a more unified Lionbridge Language Services. This restructuring will allow us to be more innovative and transformative around the full content lifecycle so we can better service our customers. It’s really exciting, getting to spearhead an initiative like that.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

Every day is different. There are many moving parts, and it seems like I’m always catching up on communications or standing up a new project. The one constant is that there are a lot of meetings with people. You can only get things done by leveraging your team, so I spend a lot of time working with people from all functions and regions, from leadership to our community managers and salespersons.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

 I love working with people. I love being a leader and helping others grow, whether that’s professionally or personally. It’s a special thing, getting to usher everyone into a new age and help this team develop.

How has Lionbridge evolved since you started working here, and what do you see on the horizon? 

I’ve been at Lionbridge for over 25 years. I started off as a Localization Engineer and moved on up through a variety of management roles – Project Management, Sales Leadership, and Head of Operations – until I reached my current position about six months ago. To put it simply, I’ve been here for a long time and have worn many different hats.

The environment here is still creative, collaborative, and customer-focused. That hasn’t changed, but the pace and the technology are completely different. We’re faster and more developed than ever. Innovative technology is ever-present in our workflows. Our customers need speed, and we’ve grown to reflect that. Whereas projects, when I started, used to last nine or more months, we now deliver many projects in under an hour.

What made you want to stay with Lionbridge for so long?

I’ve thought about that question a lot over the years, and I think it comes down to two things: personal development and problem-solving. Both of my parents were teachers, so I grew up with a strong ethos around learning and growing. Not only does being at Lionbridge allow me to develop my own skills, but it also enables me to support others in their own journeys.

I also have a background in Physics – more specifically quantum mechanics – so I’ve developed a strong aptitude for problem-solving. My job involves trying to balance a lot of seemingly contradictory things, and it’s really satisfying to be able to utilize that skill set every day.

What excites you the most about the industry you work in?

I grew up in a small, rural town in the west of Ireland. It was a very monocultural, monolingual society. This industry has given me experience with crossing global borders, working with different characters, and taking in different viewpoints. It’s very enriching.

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

I live in Ireland, in an area that is called the Sunny South East. It’s very rural, very peaceful, and very friendly. The infrastructure is great, the area is beautiful, and it offers me a great work-life balance. I get to explore and spend a lot of time with my family here where it’s quiet, but still connected to the wider world.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Other than spending time with my family, I love cooking. It’s such a nice creative outlet, and it’s really helped us become more health-conscious, too. I also love getting out and sightseeing – the Irish countryside is such a gorgeous place, and believe it or not, there are actually a couple of tourist attractions and film sites around here.

How many languages do you speak?

I speak one language well and three others very poorly. Aside from English, I’ve tried to learn some German, French, and Gaelic. It’s a bit of a shame that I never had access to decent language education as a child, but I’ve made sure that my kids will be bilingual. They attend a Gaelic immersion school, and my daughter has also picked up German. I feel honored to give them that opportunity since I never had it.

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

Find a mentor. There are so many people out there who are ready, willing, and eager to help you learn. You just have to find them, and once you do, you will progress faster than you ever thought possible.