FAQ

Multilateral is not a translation agency. It is a professional services company with a strong emphasis in languages and cross-cultural communication run by its owner and lead interpreter, Cecilia Lipovsek.

However, as I can only be in one place at any given time, I sometimes rely on my select network of trusted colleagues and strategic partners to ensure my clients receive the world-class service they deserve.

I have also created a series of on-demand resources to help you master the 55% of face-to-face interactions that is non-verbal.

The MULTILATERAL Way is a set of six core beliefs that guide everything my team and I do:

1. Be useful – I believe we are part of your team, even if only for a few days or hours and, as such, we are here to help you. The secret of good interpreting is to put our entire beings at the service of your message so that you can communicate seamlessly.
2. Protect confidentiality – Interpreters never interpret and tell. We are unable to repeat it back – even if we wanted to, anyway. Once we interpreted it, it is gone. However, at MULTILATERAL we take confidentiality one step further and follow The Othello Principle.
3. Be respectful – It is not about us (your interpreters), it is about you. Our mission is to respect and honour your message; that includes its informative content as much as its cultural background, your personal opinions and beliefs, and the communicative intent behind it.
4. Be fair and transparent – From my pricing, scope of work, and terms of service to potential conflicts of interest, fairness and transparency are the beating heart of MULTILATERAL.
5. Mind the little things – The devil is in the detail, and so is success. In languages and in good cross-cultural communication, details do matter. It is not about translating it ‘roughly’; it is about conveying exactly what you said but in the other language.
6. Strive for excellence – Is there any other way?

I purposely do not list any interpreting jobs on my website nor talk about them on social media. This is to protect my clients’ confidentiality as well as that of the events and projects my team and I assist them with.

Those whose praise about our work are featured as testimonials in my website have given their express consent and authorisation.

You see, discretion and confidentiality are essential in my line of work. So, you will not find any client lists, names or logos – nor any behind-the-scenes tales – here nor in my social media channels.

I call this type of all-around discretion and confidentiality The Othello Principle.

Of course! Sometimes, projects need to go bespoke. That’s why at MULTILATERAL, my approach is modular, in addition to it being culturally-sensitive and people-powered. At the moment, the following modules are available to be added to your diplomatic interpreting services:

• Presentation Preparation
• The B.I.G. Express™
• Daily/Session/Event Summary
• Local Host
• Follow-up Companion

You can also join The MULTILATERAL Club and access our top-level, ongoing support.

I have made hiring my interpreting services as simple and streamlined as possible. It only take four steps:

1. Contact me
   1. Email me to cecilia@multilateral.london
   2. Call me on +44 7731 450 835
   3. Use the Contact Form
      
2. Get your quote. My Diplomatic Interpreting services are modular and arranged as follows:
   • 3 languages: English, Latin American Spanish, and/or Brazilian Portuguese
   • 3 types of situations: Mission Companion, Cultural Events, and Expert Sessions
   • 3 types of settings: in-venue, online, and hybrid
3. Finalise your booking. Bookings are made on a first-come, first-served basis and I only work with a small team of select colleagues. So hurry!
4. Shine! It is all teamwork. You bring your knowledge and expertise and we bring ours. Our job? Make you shine!

Yes and no.

Let’s see, if you need our support with a conference-like Expert Session – be it online, in-venue, or hybrid – then, yes I do!

However, if you need my support with a Diplomatic Mission, then I do not.

See, diplomatic work requires deep cultural-sensitivity; therefore, in order to do a good job, it is best for interpreters to be from the context in which the mission is happening as we need to have thorough understanding of the cultural dynamics and linguistic nuances at play. My team and I get to be outstanding by being immersed in the host culture and knowing how to best translate its subtleties into the visiting culture/s own frameworks.

Also, diplomatic situations tend to be unpredictable and, in consequence, difficult to manage at a distance – at least not with the professional, discerning touch my clients are accustomed to.

So, if you are coming to the UK with a Latin American delegation, I will be delighted to assist you! And, if you need support in other countries, then I will gladly put you in touch with trusted colleagues around the world.

No, quality and excellence are central to The MULTILATERAL Way and I cannot guarantee either unless I speak the language myself.

Therefore, I only work with English, Latin American Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese.

This is one of the biggest differences between MULTILATERAL and most interpreting agencies out there: ultra-specialised, hands-on quality guarantee.

However, if you do need support in other languages, do not hesitate to contact me. I will gladly put you in touch with a trusted colleague.

MULTILATERAL is a highly-specialised service provider; this means we do not do it all nor do we do a little bit of everything.

Although my main focus is diplomatic interpreting, my Presentation Preparation Module and The MULTILATERAL Club include translation and proofreading of presentations and other documents such as brochures and reports.

If you need translation for a large project, book a 15-min Fit Call here.

My team is comprised of a small group of hand-picked colleagues who are outstanding interpreters but, most importantly, share the values in The MULTILATERAL Way.

I have personally worked with each one of them before inviting them to join my team; that is how I know they are up to the mark – and more.

The MULTILATERAL Notes is a collection of insights, tips, and resources about interpreting, languages, Latin America, the United Kingdom, and communicating across cultures available for free to anyone who is interested.

You are welcome to subscribe and get them daily in your inbox or you can also follow MULTILATERAL on social media and enjoy them there:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

The B.I.G. Express™ is a live online session to go over the key aspects of UK-Latin America cross-cultural engagement. Let’s bring clarity to the table!

The goal: position you perfectly so you can maximise your interactions with your counterparts across the Atlantic.

To make sure you’re implementing the plan successfully, it includes:

• tips & templates
• quick memory cards

Click here to learn more and sign up for the next The B.I.G. Express™.

The MULTILATERAL Club™ is Britain’s first and only bilingual strategic communication club designed to walk you through your Anglo-LatAm interactions every step of the way.

Get access to flexible support from MULTILATERAL’s team to either:

• follow-up with your newly-made connections across the Atlantic
• initiate and stay in contact with your counterparts

Book a 15-min Fit Call here.