Meet the team: James Penry, account manager

Join us for a conversation with one of our account managers, James Penry.

Hey James, thanks for joining us today. Let’s dive right in – do you want to give us a quick overview of your localization experience?

Sure. So I’ve been in the industry for 4 years now. Truthfully, I hadn’t planned on joining the localization industry before I started at Alpha. I was mainly looking for a commercial role, and when I stumbled across an opportunity in localization, it seemed like a good fit with my own background in French and Spanish. As an account manager, I don’t really work with languages directly in my everyday work, but that background definitely helps me spot potential issues and understand what considerations may be needed when localizing content for new markets.

So, what does your average day look like?

I guess, put simply, my days revolve around brainstorming, emails, and meetings. Most of the time, I’m communicating with clients to understand their needs and requirements, and working closely with our project managers and tech teams to ensure our solutions align with their strategic localization goals. It’s my job to ensure we’re delivering the best possible results for our clients.

I think that variety of tasks is what I enjoy most about the role. I have the opportunity to get involved in a wide range of conversations with different teams, from technical discussions to commercial matters. I also really anjoy the problem-solving aspect, especially when it comes to tailoring solutions to meet each client’s unique needs.

What would be your advice to somebody getting started in localization?

I think it would be to stay curious and eager to learn about new developments and trends in the world of localization. The pace of change is very fast, especially since GenAI came onto the scene, so it’s important to stay on top of what’s new. It’s an approach that also helps to keep things interesting.

What’s your favourite word or phrase from another language?

Quilombo. It’s used in Argentina to describe a chaotic or messy situation. I like the expressive nature of the word. Plus, it’s a good example of a word that doesn’t really have a ‘perfect’ or ‘exact’ translation into other languages. The closest equivalents in English would be ‘mess’, ‘chaos’, or ‘shambles’, but I don’t think any of them quite capture the full flavour and cultural nuance of this word in Argentine Spanish.

Can you share one of your favourite examples of localization? What makes it stand out to you?

I think translations of famous novels and sagas like The Lord of the Rings, which take place in their own fantasy worlds or universes, have always fascinated me. I am particularly interested in how linguists adapt and recreate invented languages, words, and concepts in a way that balances staying true to the author’s original vision while also reading naturally and maintaining immersion in the target language.

There are plenty of examples in Tolkien’s work of how linguists would have to adapt the linguistic layers that lie within character-specific styles of speech, including puns and wordplays, which often draw on different cultural and historical references. I want to see how translators around the world have dealt with the classic hobbit-speak ‘eleventy-first birthday’, for example.

If you could instantly become fluent in any language, which would you choose, and why?

I’d have to choose Japanese. Instant fluency would be a handy shortcut to learning a language that is so completely different from English, and it also ties in well with my desire to explore Japan in the future.