Behind the screen: Ronald Erlandsson-Klein

In this issue: Ronald Erlandsson-Klein, Managing Director

 

• What are the most difficult words to translate?

In Sweden, everyone seems to be using the word “lagom” right now, as it’s just the right word to describe when things are just right. Translating this Goldilocks concept correctly in all its possible contexts requires no small portion of wit and eloquence.

 

• What is your preferred workspace like?

Solid wood panelling and a view out onto the Garden of Eden ­are ideal for maintaining concentration and composure – both of which make child’s play of project managing the rising tide of jobs that need to be turned around within 24 hours; they also melt away any lingering reservations regarding a customer’s quirkier needs. It’s the kind of environment that makes late-night correspondence with Australian customers much more agreeable.

 

• What do you like most about your job?

One particularly appealing aspect of being a project manager is making the seemingly impossible possible – whether by delivering huge volumes of text to ridiculously tight deadlines or by arranging a translation into exotic languages.

 

• Dogs or cats?

I’ve become a cat person; I admire cats’ ability to keep themselves entertained for longer stretches.

 

• Audiobook or paperback?

I don’t have much time for either. News magazines (which I mostly, but not always, read online) are the right sort of length for me. But once a year, when I’m on holiday, I like to immerse myself in a nice thick paperback.

 

• Tea or coffee?

Both: one after the other.