Women in Localization Announces 2025 Leadership Team and Plans for Significant Global Impact
SUNNYVALE, California, USA, February 21, 2025. Women in Localization (W.L.), the leading professional organization for the advancement of women in the localization industry through education, is proud to announce Anna N. Schlegel continues as President of Women in Localization in 2025. Under her leadership, W.L. will expand its impact thanks to its intentional global strategy, reach, and growth initiatives to onboard as many peers around the world as possible.
Cecilia Maldonado is also returning to serve as Vice President for 2025 while leading the Operations & Metrics Program. Returning Board Members include Allison McDougall (Global Sponsorships & Fundraising), Madhu Sundaramurthy (Global Community), Maria Jesus de Arriba Diaz (Chapters), Winnie Heh (Non-Profit), Olga Beregovaya (Technology), Jill Goldsberry (Global Partnerships & Events), Olga Blasco (Marketing & Advocacy), and Carrie Fischer (Global Growth & Diversity).
Women in Localization Co-Founder Silvia Avary steps down from the Board, but will stay as an Advisory Board Member. Lina Eliachova will replace her as Treasurer. Continuing in their advisory roles for 2025 are Fabiano Cid (Diversity), W.L. Co-Founder Eva Klaudinyova (Non-Profit), Gary Muddyman (Growth, Non-Profit work in Africa), and Maria Kania (Industry Presence).
The organization is grateful for the continued service of its Program Directors: Daniela D’Amato (Operations), Manon Debuire (Global Sponsorships & Fundraising), Vanessa Prolow (Non-Profit), Agustina Pioli (Marketing), and Jennifer Vela (Chapters).
W.L. thanks Susan Morgan, Viviana Bernabé, and Margarita Núñez for their contributions as they step down in 2025. Edith Bendermacher is stepping down as Program Director, but continues to serve Women in Localization as Chapter Manager for the Silicon Valley.
The organization welcomes new Program Directors Debora Weirich (Partnerships & Events), Dominika D’Agostino (Global Growth & Diversity), Nadja Ruhl (Global Community), and Silvia Granzo (Technology). A search is underway for a Program Director for the Advocacy program.
In 2024, Women in Localization made major strides in operational excellence, technology, and impact measurement. The organization launched a dynamic dashboard to track key performance indicators (KPIs), offering insights into its reach and progress. To further enhance transparency, W.L. complemented the dashboard with its first-ever Impact Report, highlighting its achievements.
“In 2024, our organization reached new heights, mentoring more women, expanding our global footprint, and initiating a comprehensive three-year plan to strengthen our programs and infrastructure,” says Cecilia Maldonado. “We focused on streamlining and automating key processes for recruitment, succession, and offboarding. This will maximize volunteer contributions and amplify our impact for our members.”
2024 also saw the rollout of MentorEase, the organization’s mentoring platform, by W.L.’s Global Community team. More than 150 mentor-mentee pairs have joined W.L.’s MentorEase platform, underscoring the community’s commitment to supporting the next generation of localization professionals.
W.L.’s global growth continued with the launch of five new Chapters in 2024: Switzerland, Brazil, Portugal, Türkiye, and Madrid. The Global Community Program exceeded expectations with over 14,000 members, 10+ upskilling and reskilling events, and 150+ career opportunities posted on W.L.’s Job board.
Panels at major industry events, including GALA, LocWorld, and various chapter-organized local events, drew strong attendance and engagement. W.L. also partnered with Advancing Language Services in Africa (ALCA) on their inaugural conference, opening doors for future chapters in Africa, and presented at HBCUs to extend opportunities to the localization industry and Women in Localization.
2025 is set to be a year of intentional growth and impact for Women in Localization. Technology and data will play a greater role in its operations, with AI-driven workflows enhancing decision-making and efficiency.
Women in Localization aims to expand its funding and sponsorship efforts, broadening financial support beyond the localization industry. These funds will be directed toward upskilling and reskilling members to advance career growth, bridging the gender equity gap in the localization industry, and establishing innovation awards to recognize and support trailblazers in the field.
To support this funding initiative, W.L. is also launching a dedicated Advocacy Program to elevate the organization’s mission and extend its reach. This new program will develop strategic advocacy approaches, communication plans, and campaigns to raise awareness about W.L.’s mission among key decision makers, media, and institutions to help drive change.
“It is an honor to be re-elected as President of such a groundbreaking and industry-leading organization,” Anna N. Schlegel says. “I am committed to connecting with as many women as possible to ensure they benefit from W.L.’s global programs, including mentorship, job opportunities, and professional networking. Our mission is to help as many women as possible. We want to be the leading voice in technology and innovation within the industry.”
In 2025, W.L. plans to expand with more chapters, deeper partnerships to extend initiatives in the Middle East, and a Health and Wellness Team within the Global Community program. Career development initiatives will continue to grow with more tech and AI upskilling and reskilling events.
“It’s an exciting time for Women in Localization as our global community grows exponentially every day,” says Schlegel. “We are now in our 16th year and have become the strongest innovation incubator in the world. With a focus on operational excellence, global expansion, and advocacy, we are creating a more inclusive, empowering future for women in localization.”
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 14,000 members registered globally and more than 28,500 followers on LinkedIn 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.