The founders and directors of Word Perfect Translations Olga Shajaku and Jimmy Gashi are convinced that the efficient, integrated approach of their company is what is missing in the Russian market. The Russian translation and interpreting sector is reminiscent of what was seen in the West ten to fifteen years ago – with many companies still using local staff to translate into a foreign language. Olga Shajaku, C.E.O. of Word Perfect Translations is quick to point out that this practice is entirely inefficient as it inevitably results in the loss of the nuances and flavour of the text.

Any frequent diners in Russian restaurants will have had plenty of opportunities to collect hilarious anecdotes of mistranslations, for example, boiled tongue being directly translated as ‘boiled language’.

For this reason, Word Perfect Translations insists on only entrusting native speakers of the target with the task of translating a text. To ensure the highest standard and consistency in their translations they apply a step-by-step process. First a project manager to the project, whose job it is to monitor the translation each step of the way – from its initial proofreading by a specialist in the field, to the translation by a native speaker followed by a second proofreading, right up to the final desktop publishing performed by I.T. specialists. Employing all the latest translation tools and glossaries, and backed by a network of over 4,000 translators and interpreters across the globe, their new office on Prospekt Mira, 36 caters for all language pairs and specialises in medical, legal and technical translations.

Olga Shajaku, herself a native of Ufa, moved to Ireland nearly fifteen years ago. Qualified as a solicitor in Ireland and a linguist in Russia, she is keen to be able to apply her Irish experience to the Russian market. Jimmy Gashi, a graduate of the National College of Ireland in ‘Management and Employee Relations’ is confident that Russia has huge potential for foreign companies and that translation is a communication link that cannot be avoid.

Olga Shajaku and Jimmy Gashi with president Mary McAleese and Aidan Heavey, CEO of Tullow Oil.