During the D4 Evolution Event that took place on 23 January, Camille, who works on Middle East business for the Export Team, assisted with live foreign language interpretation of the presentations for the international visitors.

We decided to chat to her, giving everyone the opportunity to get to know the diversity and character of Dedalus employees.

First of all, thank you for taking the time to participate in our Q&A. Could you introduce yourself in a few words?

Camille: Hi, my name is Camille. My initial studies were in Law, I did a Masters degree in French and English law. I am a native speaker of both French and English and I have always been interested in international law. As I particularly enjoyed the legal translation class,  I subsequently pursued a diploma in Translation and Interpretation in Wales, specialising in legal and medical fields. . This degree gave me more opportunities, including an internship in the Translation Department of the European Commission in Brussels.. After working there for a while, I decided that I needed experience in a  more “corporate” working environment. And here I am at Dedalus!

Why work for a company like Dedalus, and why the Export team? You must be quite at ease in an international setting by now.

Camille: I have always been attracted to international environments and I think that learning languages allows us to understand people and their culture – it gives us more humility. This is what I like about Dedalus. I was warmly welcomed into the Export team, it is relatively small and this creates an enjoyable work environment where I feel fully able to put my knowledge and skills into practice. Indeed, during my studies I learnt vocabulary and translation techniques specific to the medical field, but translation is not only about knowledge, it is also about adapting content for other systems and cultures. This job also gives me the opportunity to work with other departments such as the Legal and Communications teams, which is enriching and generates real synergy and great teamwork.

So let’s get back to the D4 Evolution event. How did the interpreting go? What will you take home from the event?

Camille: Overall, I got the impression that it went well, even though it had been a long time since I last did simultaneous interpretation. I must admit that it was easier to interpret for Giorgio Moretti and Frederic Vaillant because I had already heard their speeches at the Sales Launch Meeting a few days earlier. I was quite stressed at the start because with simultaneous interpreting there is no second chance. You have to have full concentration from the beginning through to the end. It is always quite a challenge, but I would be very happy to do it again!  

Would you like to add anything?

Camille: A colleague and I enjoy joking together in Welsh, so as we would say: “Mae’n anrhydedd ac yn bleser” (“It’s not only a pleasure but also an honour”)

 

Thank you, Camille.