SUNNYVALE, California, USA, January 9, 2024. Women in Localization (W.L.), the leading professional organization for women in the localization industry, is proud to announce Women in Localization co-founder Anna N Schlegel as the organization’s President for 2024.
Board changes include Cecilia Maldonado serving as Vice President for 2024 while continuing to lead the Operations & Metrics Program, while joining the board are Allison McDougall (Global Sponsorships), Madhu Sundaramurthy (Global Community), and Maria Jesus de Arriba Diaz (Chapters). Returning board members include W.L. Co-Founder Silvia Avary-Silveira (Treasurer), Winnie Heh (Secretary), Olga Beregovaya (Technology), Jill Goldsberry (Global Partnerships and Events), Olga Blasco (Marketing). Outgoing 2023 President Carrie Fischer will continue serving on the board and lead the organization’s Global Growth and Diversity program.
Continuing in their advisory roles for 2024 are Fabiano Cid (Diversity) and W.L. co-founder Eva Klaudinyova (Non-Profit). New to the Advisory board in 2024 are Gary Muddyman (Growth, Non-Profit work in Africa) and Maria Kania (Industry Presence).
Looking back, President Carrie Fischer is thankful for her time leading the organization.
“Being the President of Women in Localization was one of the most challenging, yet most rewarding things that I’ve done,” said Fischer. “It was a pleasure to serve as the 2023 President, as I got to witness the incredible strength and intelligence of our board, volunteers, and members. I couldn’t have asked for a better year. I look forward to seeing our organization grow and thrive.”
During Fischer’s time as President, W.L.’s Global Community team launched MentorEase, the organization’s mentoring platform. W.L. currently has over 90 pairs of mentor/mentee pairs, reflecting how members of the localization community want to give back to those seeking mentoring. Other 2023 accomplishments include executing new strategies to better communicate with sponsors, volunteers, and members, and new training processes that bring new volunteers up to speed faster.
2023 also marks the launch of a refreshed website for Women in Localization. The more modern and intuitive interface makes it easier for volunteers and members to quickly find the information they want, such as the job board and upcoming events.
Incoming 2024 President and co-founder Anna N Schlegel is looking forward to leading the organization she helped co-found with Silvia Avary and Eva Klaudinyova in 2008 again as President.
“Thank you to Carrie Fischer for her leadership in 2023 and to our board, generous sponsors, and partners for their continued support of our ever-expanding organization,” Schlegel said. “Our members and volunteers make Women in Localization what we are today. We couldn’t achieve our ambitious goals without you. Let’s continue being here for all the women and men who need a top innovative community in our profession.”
In 2024 W.L. plans to focus on rapid but very intentional growth. Under Schlegel’s new Presidency, there will be a specific emphasis on Africa and Australia.
“It’s an exciting time for Women in Localization as our base grows every single day and our processes are solid,” said Schlegel. “We are 15 years old and have become the strongest localization engine and innovation incubator in the world, and we have no intention of stopping that.”
About Women in Localization
Women in Localization (W.L.) was founded in 2008 by Silvia Avary-Silveira, Eva Klaudinyova, and Anna N. Schlegel, and is the leading professional organization for women in the localization industry with over 11,000 members registered globally and thousands of followers around the globe. Its mission is to foster a global community for the advancement of women and the localization industry. It aims to provide an open, collaborative forum where women can share expertise and experience and help each other move forward in their careers. Started in the San Francisco Bay Area, W.L. has expanded its membership to include women across the globe, encouraging members to meet in other local geographies. To learn more, visit www.womeninlocalization.com. You can also follow W.L. on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.