If you are involved in the translation industry, you might have heard the exciting news already: Since the 1st of August, MEINRAD has officially been part of TOPPAN Digital Language (TDL for short), a technology-based LSP headquartered in London. TDL operates globally, across the USA, Europe and Asia and is part of TOPPAN Next, a global market leader. The acquisition not only offers MEINRAD valuable new skills and fresh innovative solutions, but also strengthens the shared commitment that both companies have concerning outstanding quality and excellent service.
Christophe Djaouani, President of TDL, and Alex Jarvis, Chief Strategy Officer, took the time to speak to us about what this merger means for the translation industry and why TDL and MEINRAD are the perfect fit.
Hi Alex and Christophe! Do you come from a translation industry background, and how did you end up working at TOPPAN Digital Language?
AJ: I spent most of my career in investment banking as an equity analyst focused on listed technology companies. One of the companies that I analysed over a long period of time was the language service provider SDL plc, and when I left banking, I joined SDL in a strategy and M&A role. I left SDL when it was acquired by RWS and worked with Christophe to set up TOPPAN Digital Language in 2021.
CD: I’m currently based in Paris and have had the privilege of working in the translation industry for over 25 years. In 2021, I had the honour of leading the pioneer team of TOPPAN Digital Language. One of the most rewarding aspects of this role has been bringing together a diverse team with a blend of localization expertise and industry knowledge. It’s truly a joy to build and grow businesses.
From 2001 to 2018, I worked alongside Nicolas Bosovsky (TDL’s Chief Operating Officer) and Anna Gargiulo (TDL’s Chief Sales Officer) to build Donnelley Language Solutions (DLS), the language services division of RR Donnelley and later Donnelley Financial Solutions.
In 2018, SDL plc—with Alex Jarvis in charge of M&A and the world’s third-largest LSP at the time—acquired DLS to bolster its position in regulated industries, and I led that business unit.
After RWS plc acquired SDL in 2021, the TDL management team and I decided to form TOPPAN Digital Language, driven by a vision to create a customer-centric LSP dedicated to regulated markets. The pioneer team came together, and now, we can truly say that we unlock human magic!
What an interesting path that led you both to where you are now! What do you think makes TOPPAN Digital Language a unique LSP?
AJ: Our overriding principle is to put the customer at the heart of everything we do and to design language services and solutions that are tailor-made to their industry and specific needs. We focus on sectors and customer types with high-volume and complex requirements – whether that is global support, subject matter expertise, complex workflows, regulatory compliance, technology integrations or data security. In short, we avoid generic solutions and focus on specialised solutions at a scale.
CD: I believe that hard work always pays off, and I consistently encourage the team to keep raising the bar. Being part of a global team means embracing our diversity and fostering collaboration across borders. This diversity and teamwork are key to our success.
It’s fantastic for us to have that global reach now as well. What do you love most about working at TDL?
AJ: We have been so lucky to be able to start with a blank sheet of paper and design from scratch a modern language services company that has a clear strategy and differentiators. The best thing so far is having so many new employees, customers, and partners also enthused by the vision join us on our journey.
CD: The people, our clients, and a shared growth mindset make all the difference! Coming from US and UK companies, joining Singapore-based TOPPAN Next felt like a breath of fresh air. We chose not to partner with a traditional PE firm, as they often focus on short-term gains rather than innovation and added value for customers. At TOPPAN Next, their entrepreneurial agility and commitment to leadership development have kept everyone focused on customer centricity.
Starting fresh, without the constraints of legacy challenges, made perfect sense to me. While having the best technology is straightforward, fostering and maintaining a positive, growing culture is the real challenge—but it’s what truly matters.
What is the biggest challenge you have encountered in your time as President/CSO at TDL?
AJ: For me, a big part of my role has been to find the right companies to acquire and making those deals happen. Finding our first acquisition was our most crucial step as it was the foundation for the rest of the business. For all acquisitions, there is always a lot of timing-related luck involved, and so far, we have had lots of good luck.
CD: Building resilience into our business and ensuring we stay agile is crucial. The competitive environment is evolving constantly, so our decisions must keep up as well.
TDL focuses on translating high-risk critical content for various sectors (medical-technical, legal, finance...). What is the most important thing to consider when doing so?
AJ: High-risk business critical content will always require subject matter expertise and quality assurance throughout the delivery chain, but is also likely to require fast turnaround times, flexible workflows, data security and integration into the customer’s own content management processes. It really is the case that the LSP needs to be an extension of the customer’s own business operations.
CD: Timing is critical! It’s a key factor in competitiveness and delivering quality at a fair price. Outstanding customer service is also very important.
What was your biggest learning experience in terms of a past closed deal?
AJ: We’ve had a lot of experience buying companies and also being acquired ourselves. First and foremost, there has to be a strong rationale for any acquisition in that it accelerates part of the buyer’s core strategy, which should always be centred on revenue growth. With that as a starting point, it is also important to take your time with operational integration and learning from each other, and to stay focused on the clients.
CD: Mergers and acquisitions should genuinely align with your strategy rather than being purely opportunistic. You need to take the time to understand the unique strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges of each company involved.
The translation industry is one of the fastest changing industries, with the rise of AI being one of the biggest challenges. What changes do you think the translation industry will deal with in the upcoming years?
AJ: It is an exciting time to reimagine which solutions will best fit our clients and we have more technology options at our fingertips. We know that customers have more content they want to translate into more languages, and within a broadening range of use-cases and risk-levels. Therefore, the job of the translation industry will be to offer best-fit services and solutions using a wide range of tools and expertise. AI and automation will undoubtedly be part of that toolkit.
CD: Generic providers will be greatly impacted by not value adding for their clients. This is why segmentation is important.
Why should companies in need of multilingual high-risk content choose TDL as their translation partner?
CD: Our clients need their content to be filed and registered with authorities for compliance purposes. Partnering with a language service provider who understands the regulatory system helps mitigate potential legal risks.
Hand on heart: Why do you think TDL and MEINRAD are such a good fit?
AJ: Most importantly, I believe our core values and culture are aligned, particularly when it comes to our focus on our customers and solutions approach. I also love how passionate the MEINRAD team is about what they do and their growth mindset. In many ways, MEINRAD is a mini TDL already and our only job is to help MEINRAD flourish even more.
How does a smaller translation company like MEINRAD benefit from becoming part of the TDL family?
AJ: We are going to be able to provide additional support across many areas of the business, including sales, global operations, technology investment and wider expertise, but we also have plenty to learn from you.
We’re very much looking forward to your extra support. But what about our clients: How can you support companies in the DACH region in regulated industries, as well as in the engineering sector?
AJ: Our starting point is our commitment to quality, on time delivery and value for money. Going further, we expect to bring plenty of innovation and, where it’s needed, global support across our operations in the US, Europe and Asia.
CD: Some clients prefer a centralised approach, while others prefer decentralisation. We have the flexibility to support both models, including those in the DACH region!
To finish off: Dear Alex and Christophe, do you have a secret to success, and can you share it with us?
AJ: Truly, if you live and breathe the adage of putting the customer first then that is the guiding light you need.
CD: Let’s constantly raise the bar, with style and a smile.
Thanks so much for taking the time to speak to us, and we’re so excited for what’s to come!
Main image © TOPPAN Digital Languages, MEINRAD.cc
