SlatorPod

#72 Vistatec CEO Thomas Murray on Agile Localization and Organic Over Acquisitive Growth

May 21, 2021 Slator
SlatorPod
#72 Vistatec CEO Thomas Murray on Agile Localization and Organic Over Acquisitive Growth
Show Notes Chapter Markers

Vistatec CEO Thomas Murray joins the pod to discuss the company’s international presence, the tech and business environment, and managing growing content volumes.

Thomas shares his insights on how geographic spread and the follow-the-sun model are important in serving clients. He explains why the language service provider (LSP) prefers organic growth over M&A, owing to the quality and longevity of customer relationships.

He also discusses how globalization has changed the way the LSP tackles “content explosion”; and how agility and speed of execution are crucial to scalability. The CEO also weighs in on ISO certification and how using it in the right way can lead to operational excellence.

Finally, Thomas reflects on the past year as Vistatec moved its operations online and kept staff safe through Covid.

First up, Florian and Esther share key takeaways from SlatorCon Remote, which drew in nearly 300 attendees and facilitated 200-300 individual networking sessions. This year’s SlatorCon Remote highlighted the message of growth with Iyuno-SDI CEO David Lee pointing out how 2020 was a peak year for OTT. 

In the UK Esther touches on two healthcare translation and interpreting framework contracts that are valued at over USD 500m. Meanwhile, Florian goes over the top paying states and job prospects in the United States as presented in US BLS’ annual Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Agenda and Intro
SlatorCon Remote key takeaways
CEO Keynote Presentation
Panel: The Business of Data for AI
Panel: Globalizing eCommerce
From Printed to Digital: Localization Challenges
Presentation: The Little Engine that Could
Artificial Intelligence in Localization
UK Awards USD 0.5bn in framework contracts
US BLS’ annual Occupational Outlook Handbook
Thomas Murray joins the pod
Thomas' personal background and career
Vistatec in a nutshell
Tech & business environment in Dublin
Vistatec’s international presence
Changes in the language industry over the past decade
Balance between diversification & specialization
ISO certification benefits
Partnership with ADAPT Centre
Main pain points for software companies
Take on the rise SaaS
Challenges and opportunities with localization staffing
Organic vs. acquisitive growth
Impact of Covid
Influence of Covid on marketing strategies
2-3 year outlook for the language industry