Edwin Trebels
- Specialism: Director-level leadership, AI-supported translation, multilingual content operations, data preparation through semantic knowledge graphs.
- Track Record: Founder, LangOptima; Growth Lead, Move AI; 21+ years leading growth initiatives at the Philadelphia Church of God, including translation, marketing and multimedia production.
- Offer: Fractional program leadership; translation strategy and implementation; AI adoption; semantic knowledge graphs, multilingual MarTech and RevOps; workflow automation; vendor selection and management.
- Edwin says: “As companies scale up, they start realising what a great opportunity translation is to grow internationally. They then often later realise they need specialised expertise in this area, even with all the latest AI technology. This is where I can help build out their capability.”
- Try me: www.langoptima.com
Looking back over my 20+ year career, I realized I’m most effective at launching initiatives during year one or revamping old programs that need to be refreshed.
I spent 21 years on the client side, always functioning as an intrapreneur – developing new initiatives and revamping existing ones. I then started my own company, under which I also serve as a Fractional Program Director at other organisations.
My first success came in a Growth Lead role at Move AI, where I worked at the intersection of B2B and B2C in marketing and in close cooperation with Sales, Client Success, and Product. That position kept me unusually high up in the organisation, even to the point of being appointed to a near-CEO role during a particularly high-growth month.
Over the years, I’ve learned that the hardest part of any localization or AI program isn’t the technology. It’s the internal alignment and training problem. The frameworks are just a vehicle – the real value comes from judgment.
Having a portfolio of clients works because it keeps headcount down for them while providing maximum value for a reasonable investment of time and money. The variety of clients keeps my motivation high and helps me deliver my best work to each of them.
Looking ahead, I hope to continue improving my skills and expanding my network of highly competent professionals, constantly investing in growth both for myself and the clients I serve.