Team_Praktikantin_Raffaela_Arnold

Raffaela Arnold

English team

Proofreader
Raffaela spent her childhood holidays going from one SAC hut to the next. Later, at school, she would leave the Zürcher Oberland and travel abroad as often as her bank balance would allow. Wherever she went, Raffaela would scour the menus and any other printed material for typos. She even tried her hand at newspaper editing during an internship. This was followed by a degree in Applied Linguistics at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and a semester abroad in Dublin. Raffaela is a keen hiker with a strong connection to the canton of Uri. Whenever she’s not wielding her red pen, she enjoys losing herself in the mountains or savouring a good cup of coffee in her hammock – the perfect place to drift away and dream of the next road trip, plan the perfect camera angle or ponder another old Swiss word.

Alysha Badertscher

Group Leader for Marketing Texts I French team

Proofreader, translator
Born in Winterthur, Alysha joined Diction in 2018, where she now provides the finishing flourish for our French texts. Her mantra is “Use it or lose it” – and true to form, she’s almost always to be found with her nose in a book. When she feels like doing something a little different, you’ll find her at the gym, where she likes to work up a sweat as a group fitness instructor.

Giulia Ballandi

Italian team

Proofreader, translator
Born in Bologna, Giulia was already showing her aptitude for proper Italian grammar and style at the age of 12 – when she meticulously logged the linguistic errors of her family and friends in her book Il libro degli errori. She is active, fond of German and (almost) always in good spirits. After earning her BA at the Scuola Superiore per Inter¬preti e Traduttori in Triest and her MA in Translation at Heidelberg University, she moved to Switzerland, where she now ensures that Diction’s clients don’t end up in anyone’s book of errors.

Dr. Sabine Bauer

German team

Proofreader, translator
Sabine has a PhD in English and professional training as a stage director and has lived on the west coast of Canada since 2005, where she indulges her passions for big trees, big dogs and big motorcycles – and where she has also written five novels. A prolific writer, she began proofreading at the request of her publisher and soon found that she thoroughly enjoyed her linguistic detective work. Starting in May 2014, she took over the “night shift” on the German team, putting her red pen and her devotion to research to good use, and is excited to be a part of Diction’s Canada office.

Anne-Kathrin Böhnke

French team

Proofreader, translator
Early on in life, Anne-Kathrin, who has chosen Switzerland as her adoptive home, discovered her passion for languages and other cultures. After several holidays with a host family in Normandy, she became certain that she wanted to study languages. Following her studies in Magdeburg (technical translation for science and technology in English and French) and a year abroad in Rennes, the nature-lover moved to Switzerland – almost 10 years ago now. She started off working in the language services department of a multinational industrial corporation, and now coordinates projects and takes care of terminology for the French team. In her free time, you’re most likely to come across her in the forest with her dog, in a cosy armchair with a great book, or on a trip – from short city tours to long road trips, and preferably in France, India or the USA.

Cristina Boi-Roggenbuck

Italian team

Proofreader, translator, interpreter
Two languages, two cultures, one passion. The Rhineland native grew up speaking German and Italian, and could not resist studying both languages with their fascinating contrasts at university. She headed to her second home for her bachelor’s degree and, at Bologna University’s School of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Interpreting and Translation, spent several years immersing herself in the Italian language and culture. She then moved to the Palatinate, where she completed a degree in conference interpreting and additional translation modules at the FTSK Germersheim in order to be able to further pursue her passion. During a semester abroad at the University of Limerick, she discovered her love of the Emerald Isle, the natural world and meditation.

Olivia Brändle

English team

Proofreader, translator
Our bookworm with a bilingual background, Olivia loves working with both English and German on a daily basis. Spurred by her enjoyment of text analysis, she has turned her love of learning and teaching into her profession by joining the Diction team. After completing her translation degree from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Winterthur and an MA in English Language Teaching from Nottingham Trent University, Olivia joined Diction in 2011, where she works as part of the English team to ensure flawless texts and also conducts in-house workshops. Olivia only really needs two things to be happy: a knotty translation problem and hot, sunny weather. She satisfies her passion for the former every day at her desk in the Diction office, and jets off to India or Borneo in search of the latter.

Sonja Brass

Head of Vendor Management

Sometimes Hamburg native Sonja misses the beaches on the Elbe, the marshy coastal landscape and sailing trips in the Baltic Sea. But her new home in Saarland, right at the heart of the cosmopolitan area on the German-French border, also has a lot to offer. Variety was the spice of life for Sonja when she was at university in the state capital, Saarbrücken, going on trips to the UK, spending semesters abroad in Milan and taking on a job in film production, writing and adapting texts for German audiences. After completing her translation degree, she spent time as a journalist intern and worked in the international translation industry for several years. She has been Head of Vendor Management at Diction since 2018. In addition to her life on the road, Sonja loves spending time with family and friends, cooking, gardening, audiobooks, Tom Waits (and other good music) and US TV series.

Lukas Brauchli

Client Relationship Manager I Automotive team

The proud holder of FC St. Gallen season tickets and a defender for a company football club (unfortunately there is no FC Diction), Lukas has always been interested in languages. After completing his bachelor’s degree at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Winterthur, during which he had the opportunity to study abroad for a semester in Alicante on the southern coast of Spain, he began his career with an internship at Diction. He returned to university to complete a master’s degree in technical translation and, after a terminology internship at an industrial company, he found his way back to our offices – this time as a client relationship manager.

Katja Busch

Client Relationship Manager I Finance and Legal team

Die Begeisterung für fremde Sprachen und Kulturen hat die Süddeutsche schon früh gepackt – und einfach nicht mehr losgelassen. Nach dem Studium der Kulturwirtschaft mit Schwerpunkt Englisch und Spanisch an der Uni Passau und einigen Jahren Erfahrung in der Unternehmenskommunikation machte sie schliesslich bei Diction ihre Leidenschaft zum Beruf und stellt inzwischen als Kundenbetreuerin ihr Organisationstalent unter Beweis.

Chiara Cavazzani

Group Leader for Financial and Legal Texts I Italian team

Proofreader, translator
As far as Chiara is concerned, classics, cultures and languages are part of everyday life: her father is from South Tyrol, her mother is from Calabria, and she developed a passion for Latin and ancient Greek literature while at school in Dante’s home town of Florence, where she also studied philology and linguistics. It was her love of ancient and modern European languages which eventually took her to Germany, where she completed a master’s degree in Philology and Comparative Literature at Heidelberg University – and rediscovered her paternal links to the German language. Now part of the Italian team here at Diction, Chiara is able to combine her linguistic skills with her keen eye for detail. In her free time, she can usually be found immersed in a good book – generally a classic novel or a philosophical work – or in the kitchen, coming up with her own unique twists on traditional Italian recipes. That said, some traditions are best left as they are, and for Chiara, one of those is the Tuscan penchant for enjoying a glass of red wine of an evening. Switzerland’s stunning landscapes have also inspired a new passion in her: hiking.

Jérôme Choquel

French team

Proofreader, translator
Jérôme has a very diverse range of interests. He studied chemistry and biology before discovering his enthusiasm for the intricacies of the French language, grammar and orthography. After winning a spelling contest he was hooked, and studied for a qualification as an editor and proofreader at the Centre d’Écriture et de Communication in Paris. He now uses his language skills to provide support to the French team. Besides his in-depth knowledge of the natural sciences, our living lexicon also never fails to find the right words for texts on politics, Greek mythology or cinema.

Bruno Ciola

Head of Terminology and Translation Technology

When it comes to terminology, Bruno seems to have an innate sense of precision – with an Italian father and a German mother, he has been familiar with the nuances in different languages and cultures since his early days at multilingual kindergarten. As far as his education goes, Bruno always knew what he wanted to do: he chose to focus on languages at school, before going on to study a degree in translation at the University of Innsbruck, where he also discovered his fascination for translation tools (back in the days when stone-age systems such as DOS were at the cutting edge of computer technology). After almost 20 years’ experience as a terminology expert, translator, lecturer and CAT tool trainer, Bruno is now in charge of terminology here at Diction. When he’s not running the rule over our glossaries in the office, he can be found gliding across the tarmac on his in-line skates or pursuing his passion for middle-distance running.

Stefano Commendatore

Italian team

Proofreader, translator
Hailing from Italy, Stefano developed an enthusiasm for foreign countries and languages already at a young age. Growing up in warm and sunny Sicily, he was particularly interested in the German-speaking countries from early on. After completing a bachelor’s degree in foreign languages and European literature at the University of Catania, he moved abroad: first to Germany, then to Vienna, where he completed a master’s degree in translation. Of course, he has never forgotten his passion for cooking and a good coffee! His wanderlust took him to Switzerland, where he is now part of the Italian team here at Diction.

Nadja Davatz

French team

Proofreader, translator
Nadja has always had a passion for languages, taking lessons in English, French, Latin and Italian at school. After a short stay in England, she completed her bachelor’s degree in Applied Linguistics at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, where she also studied Russian as a third language. She is now getting her first taste of the working world by joining Diction’s French team. Nadja plays the flute, and, alongside all those languages, always has a song playing in her head. She enjoys reading, writing, watching TV shows (in the original language) and going on relaxing walks.

Donatella Elia

Italian team

Proofreader
Coming from a multicultural background, Donatella was surrounded by different languages and cultures from a very young age – and she developed a love of travel and books early on as well. After finishing school, she took a break to travel through Europe and South America. At Diction, she has turned her passion for languages into a career, and works as a proofreader for the Italian team while completing her studies at the Zurich School of Applied Linguistics.

Christine Fassbender

Deputy Head of Human Resources I Assistant to the management team

Letters, numbers and colours have always played a major role for Christine, who’s originally from the Rhineland. Armed with her qualifications as a media designer and a degree in media and communication, she got to know and fell in love with agency life. Here at Diction, she is able to draw on her diverse experience and is the main point of contact for all HR, administrative and organisational issues. In her spare time, she can be found on or in Lake Constance in summer, and hitting the slopes in winter. She also loves hiking and getting out into the countryside around her home town of Lindau – always with her two children in tow.

Patrick Fassbender

CEO

Patrick is driven by a passion for providing excellent service. After studying business administration at universities in Germany and the USA, he gained a wealth of experience in management positions in the hotel and hospitality industry. His roles in sales and marketing took him as far afield as the USA, as well as to Belgium, Germany and finally to Switzerland, where he now heads up the management team at Diction.

Robert Fawcett

English team

Proofreader, translator, copywriter
After four years working as an English tutor in private educational institutions in Germany (with a short interruption to try out his hand as a chef), where he taught German to English translation – and was able to gain more experience correcting mistakes than he (and his students) might have hoped – Robert brought his skills to the English team. He still cooks passionately as a hobby, but has found his vocational calling translating and proofreading for Diction’s renowned clients.

Brigitte Finnegan

Head of Accounting and Invoicing

Brigitte is a cheerful soul who hails from Germany and has a particular weakness for beautiful landscapes, which may have had something to do with her decision to move to Switzerland in 2004. When she isn’t busy thinking about her next holiday in Scotland or planning a trip to Edinburgh or Basel to watch the military tattoo, she is responsible for project accounting at Diction.

Chiara Fiorillo

Client Relationship Manager I Marketing team

Chiara is half Swiss and half Italian, and now calls Liechtenstein home. She grew up with two languages, although unfortunately not in a bilingual household – but she’s always been passionate about multilingual communication. The human psyche ultimately held an even greater fascination for her, which is why she decided to study psychology. Having graduated, Chiara started an internship here at Diction to gain an insight into the field of human resources. She liked it here so much that she decided to stay on full time, and she now works in the Client Relations team.

Nadine Gadient

Italian team

Proofreader
Nadine discovered her passion for languages at an early age: when she was 15, she left Aargau to spend half a year in Padua and experience a different way of life. This only fuelled her passion for Italy and the Italian language, and she would go on to spend a semester in the country as an exchange student. When it came to her degree, Applied Linguistics at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, specialising in Italian, was the obvious choice. Now at Diction, Nadine is able to combine her passion with her career, and she spends her days perfecting Italian texts for our clients. In her spare time, she enjoys horse riding in the woods and curling up at home with a good book.

Silvia Grützner

Client Relationship Manager I Vancouver Office Manager

Driven by her passion for travel, Silvia decided to study tourism after finishing school. After that, she worked in the hotel business for several years, in countries as far afield as Germany, Ireland and Canada. Silvia has called Vancouver home since 2012. For her, it’s the perfect starting point for trips across North America – and for pursuing a career in the language industry. As commander-in-chief of the Diction “night shift”, she uses her organisational and communication expertise to ensure that our clients and the Diction Canada team are always happy. To relax, she loves taking long walks or going in-line skating along the seawall in downtown Vancouver.

Adrian Haefelin

Head of Client Relations

Having grown up with four brothers, Adrian is used to being with people. He was always the first to make new friends on every family holiday, and would happily go off to do the shopping, armed with just a few phrases in the local language. It was this easy-going, sociable nature which drew him to a career in sales and client relations, and after finishing his degree, Adrian set about putting his natural talents and academic skills to good use in the world of work, gaining valuable management experience on the way. Now part of the Diction family, he feels very much at home managing new and different projects for our clients every day. Away from the office, Adrian is a keen squash player and violinist; depending on the day, he can be found playing on the squash court or rehearsing with the orchestra. He is also quite the rum connoisseur, and is always on the lookout for a bottle or two to add to his collection.

Mitarbeiterin Diction

Kenana Hajrovic

Intern in HR and office management

Kenana was born in Bosnia, and grew up in the small town of Bischofszell in the canton of Thurgau, Switzerland. Following her training in business administration at a printing company, she gained some experience in the working world. After three years working in customer services, she made her way to Diction, where she is now gaining valuable experience in human resources. During her internship, she is also completing further training as a human resources administrator. She enjoys spending her spare time with her family. In summer, you will most likely find her at the swimming pool or cooling of in Lake Constance. If she isn’t there, she’s probably off hiking or playing a game of volleyball with friends.

Maria Huber

Head of the English team

Proofreader, translator
Although the Ostallgäu native can have no complaints regarding the beauty of her home in the foothills of the Alps near Neuschwanstein Castle, she is still a passionate traveller. Her first longer trip was to Mexico City. After getting over the initial culture shock, she soon realised that she didn’t just want to travel the world – she wanted to understand it. She decided to take her first step towards this goal with a degree in translation studies at the University of Innsbruck. She then returned home to Bavaria, where she pursues her two biggest passions: perfecting English texts and playing ice hockey – though not necessarily at the same time.

Pascal Huber

French team

Proofreader
While at school in Bad Waldsee, Pascal was faced with a difficult choice: he wanted to study languages, but that would also mean subjecting himself to five years of Latin. Undeterred, Pascal opted for French, and it was this choice that led to a lifelong passion for the country and its language. Pascal went on to study French and History at the University of Tübingen, which included an Erasmus placement in Lyon and a stint in Aix-en-Provence as part of his master’s degree in German and French. This was followed by a spell in Paris working at a translation agency. For Pascal, the highlight of his studies was writing his master’s dissertation in French on colonialism in Togo. When springtime rolls around, Pascal’s mind turns to the triathlon – he competes regularly for the triathlon team in Tübingen. And on the odd occasion when he does put his feet up, Pascal enjoys watching TV series or reading novels by Musso, Bussi or his favourite author, Switzerland’s very own Joël Dicker.

Verena Illmer

French team

Proofreader, translator
After a spell in the tourism industry, this travel enthusiast from Germany’s Lower Rhine region took a degree in her favourite languages: Spanish and French. Thanks to a long stay in Chile and a semester abroad at the University of Alicante, she realised that languages and culture were also where her professional aspirations lay. Having completed her studies, she gained some experience in a law firm, before joining Diction’s French team. In her spare time, she loves to explore adventurous places in faraway lands, indulge her passion for Brazilian ju-jitsu, try her hand at Thai cuisine or simply pick up a good book.

Magali Jordan

Client Relationship Manager I Technology team

Born to a German father and an Argentinian mother, Magali has discovered that the love for languages runs in her blood just as strong as the passion for travelling. She spent her childhood in northern Germany, punctuated by numerous trips to Argentina, before taking up residence in Spain. During the 10 years she spent there, she studied translation and interpreting in German, Spanish and English at the University of Alicante and also developed a love for Spain, its people and its culture. Today, applying her knowledge and experience to multilingual projects at Diction, she has the chance to delight our clients with her German–Argentinian–Spanish charm.

Dr. Melanie Kage

English team

Proofreader, translator
Melanie was born in Germany, but did not stay in her home country for long. Her bilingual education kindled a lifelong passion for English, and inspired her decision to study German and media studies in Germany. Next came a move to Sweden for a master’s degree in European Language and Culture, then it was off to Canada for a PhD in Germanic Studies. During her academic career, she somehow managed to find the time to hone her writing skills. Her academic writing career culminated in a doctoral thesis in the field of Cultural and Literary Animal Studies. Now, Melanie enjoys giving her creativity free rein when writing stories. As a fully fledged member of the English team at Diction, she supports her colleagues during the “night shift” from her dream city, Vancouver. Melanie is passionate about riding both motorcycles and horses, so she is right at home on the west coast of Canada.

Regina Kesic

Resource Manager

After completing her degree in translation at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, which included a semester abroad in Paris, Regina joined the world of work in 2012, and is now a resource manager at Diction. To help balance out the flurry of activity at the workplace, she spends her leisure time at the theatre, hiking, playing the clarinet in an orchestra or skiing on the slopes of Obersaxen in the winter.

Team_Sprachenteams_Carola_Knabenhans

Carola Knabenhans

Italian team

Proofreader, translator
Being one-eighth Italian was enough to kindle her love for the Italian language and culture. This led her to study translation at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, with an emphasis on Italian, and to spend her semester abroad at the Scuola Superiore per Interpreti e Traduttori in Forlì (Italy). After two years as a trade marketing manager, she has now returned to her true calling – and is editing our clients’ Italian texts with perfection and passion.

Eirini Koutoulaki

Client Relationship Manager I Automotive team

A single summer course learning German in Vienna, and Eirini’s career aspirations were clear: languages absolutely had to feature! The travel-hungry Greek gained a diploma in translating as quickly as she could at the Ionian University in Corfu, before setting off on several extended trips abroad to Germany, Ireland, Belgium and Austria. Her professional life involved technical translations and training sessions, especially in the automotive sector – her speciality. And little wonder – her family own a well-established company in the automotive sector. On her numerous travels, she loves to explore the local cuisine or indulge in some water sports, such as swimming, water polo, diving and jet-skiing. When she takes a breather, she can most often be found reading books on psychology and communication.

Isabelle Krapf

German team

Proofreader, translator
What started as a hobby during her youth has now become a career for the adventurous Schaffhausen native: proofreading. After completing her bachelor’s degree in translation, she spent three years in the Valais region of Switzerland working in tourism – an industry where this bookworm was able to put her linguistic skills to good use. After longer stays in New Zealand, the USA and Canada, Isabelle – who is also a big fan of all things Scandinavian – made her way back to Eastern Switzerland and has turned her professional attentions to languages, making a welcome addition to the German team at Diction.

Béatrice Lukumbu

Head of the French team

Proofreader, translator, interpreter
Even in her nursery, Béatrice felt the beguiling draw of foreign travel. After a childhood shaped by two cultures and a mix of languages at home, the fan of big cities moved to New York immediately after school. It was here that she decided to utilise her familiar tangle of languages to build bridges between different dialects and cultures. So that’s just what she did: after a degree in translation at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, a semester abroad in Paris, and further stays in the USA and Spain, she arrived at Diction. As an aficionado of the spoken language (and mental thrills as well), she took a brief intermission from working at Diction to earn her master’s degree in conference interpreting in Winterthur. She now feels in her element both in the simultaneous interpreting booth and in the Diction office, where she helps out the French team in their endeavours with the written word. When she isn’t searching for words or spelling mistakes, Béatrice likes to explore the world through a camera lens or treat her mind to a break by working out at the gym.

Alexandra Macieira

Group Leader for Specialist Texts | French team

Proofreader, translator
Born in Portugal and growing up bilingually unsurprisingly gave Alexandra a fascination for languages. She spent a semester abroad in Madrid during her language degree at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. While travelling through Spain, she not only fell in love with the huge variety the country has to offer, but also with the Latin American dance bachata. After graduating, she spent time as an intern at a radio station before joining Diction to continue pursuing her passion as translator and proofreader. She spends her spare time at the gym, shopping or cooking for her family and friends.

Angelina Maglakelidse

French team

Proofreader (On parental leave)
From Karaganda to Mannheim to the four corners of the globe – Angelina was born with a serious case of wanderlust. After studying Romance languages in Heidelberg and emesters in Paris and Barranquilla, she decided to pursue a further master’s degree in Slavic studies, and fell head over heels in love with St. Petersburg. She now works for the French team at Diction, and likes to spend her evenings rearranging her living room and honing her Italian and Portuguese skills, and enjoys heading to the gym, going dancing or spending the evening in the theatre.

Patrizia Marchetti

Chief Operational Officer

Born in Zurich, Patrizia spent 13 years in Italy before returning home to Switzerland – and to Diction – with an MA in Translation and Interpreting. Her role as Head of the Italian team led Patrizia to discover her talent for organisation, which she now puts to good use as the Head of all of our in-house language teams. Whenever she’s not busy responding to queries, coming up with solutions to thorny problems, tackling challenges head-on or providing moral support, Patrizia can be found engrossed in a good book or whipping up her latest culinary masterpiece in the kitchen (or sometimes even both at the same time).

Susanne Mast-Singh

Head of the German team

Proofreader
After studying law in Munich and spending time abroad, Susanne, who hails from Southern Germany, worked as a lawyer for several years. Her daily work drafting legal documents and contracts gave her a passion for writing and editing texts. She now gets to indulge this passion with her work for the German team at Diction, and spends her spare time exploring the fascinating world of Bollywood cinema and music.

Miriam Molinaro

Italian team

Proofreader, translator
Born in Zurich and then raised in northern Italy, Miriam returned to her native country after 20 years. At home she speaks Italian and Spanish. During her studies in international cultures and languages at the University of Udine, she conducted in-depth research on the works of Rilke and Shakespeare.
After gaining experience as a freelance translator and language teacher, she worked in the airline industry and was able to pursue her only real hobby – travel – to her heart’s content. She now supports the Italian team at Diction.

Stefania Monsorno

Group Leader for Specialist Texts | Italian team

Proofreader, translator
Even as a child, the native Italian with a penchant for languages was determined to become an interpreter. After successfully completing her bachelor’s degree at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, the football fan realised her dream of living in Italy by studying for a master’s degree in conference interpreting in Rome. When she is not engrossed in a football match or a motorbike or Formula One race, she likes to relax with a good book. A passionate cook, she adores a good carbonara, especially when prepared in the tradition of the Eternal City that has forever stolen her heart.

Flavia Naef

Deputy Head of the English team

Proofreader, translator
Flavia is a person of many interests and talents. A native of St. Gallen, she has a bag full of tricks – and never hesitates to call on them whenever necessary, as she demonstrates her zest for languages as part of the English team. She loves travelling by train throughout Switzerland and the world – ideally while listening to Patent Ochsner or reading Stephen King. She studied translation at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, with a focus on German and English.

Charlotte Niedetzky

Italian team

Proofreader, translator
A few hours of Latin were enough to make learning languages a passion – and an obsession – for Charlotte. After leaving school, she enrolled at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and began a degree at the Faculty of Translation Studies, Linguistics and Cultural Studies in Germersheim. After finishing her undergraduate studies, which included a semester abroad in Milan, Charlotte moved to Leipzig, where she completed two master’s degrees – one in Translatology and a second in Logic, to pursue her interest in maths and philosophy. Charlotte now puts this varied expertise to good use here at Diction every day. In her free time, she likes to don a pair of running shoes or hop onto her bike and explore the great outdoors.

Mitarbeiterin Diction

Isis Nigg

ICT support | TMS product owner

The Werdenberg native with a head for figures and a talent for organisation is a true chameleon in terms of dialects: she can switch from Swiss German to High German from one moment to the next so fluidly that it is impossible to tell where she is really from. Following her commercial apprenticeship at the SBB and several years working in the Client Relations team at Diction, she now takes care of streamlined processes and new technological solutions in her role as TMS product owner and provides ICT support. After work, she loves to read fantasy novels and immerse herself in new and unknown worlds.

Ruth Oggenfuss Younes

Group Leader for Financial and Legal Texts | French team

Proofreader, translator
A stay in southern France not only ignited her love for la belle France, but also for foreign languages and cultures altogether. She spent her childhood in Valais and studied translation in Geneva. She then made the transition to German-speaking Switzerland, where she currently supports the French team at Diction. A brief detour into the world of real estate was enough to confirm that her real passion is working with languages. When she’s not hunting down missing commas, she enjoys witnessing the wonders of nature and other interesting sights.

Eva Pfaff

Resource Manager

After spending a year at an American high school, the Lower Franken native was certain that she wanted to work with the English language. She therefore decided to become a qualified translator and completed a master’s degree in Birmingham. Eva spent four years working in project management at a language services company in Munich before coming to Diction, where she now works in resource management.When she isn’t cheering on her beloved Bayern Munich in the stadium or in front of the TV, Eva loves to spend her free time reading crime thrillers or jogging in the parks of St. Gallen while listening to a gripping audio book.

Amanda Porcu

Head of the Italian team

Proofreader, translator
Amanda studied translation at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Winterthur, specialising in court interpreting. She owes her flair for languages and love of travel to the multicultural environment in which she grew up, and likes nothing better than pursuing these two great passions with long trips overseas. A keen (free) diver and photographer, Amanda loves to immerse herself in the beauty of our natural world. Otherwise, she likes to relax with good food, a crime novel or good music – basically, living la pura vida.

Team_Ressourcenmanagement_Patricia Prado Varela

Patricia Prado Varela

Resource Manager

Patricia has always been fascinated by languages and cultures, perhaps due to the fact that she was always surrounded by people from different countries from a young age. After finishing her degree in translation, she wanted to try something new. This desire led her to do an internship in the communications department of a non-profit organisation. The work was varied and rewarding, but she soon started to miss the world of languages, and applied for a position as a resource manager at Diction. She enjoys spending her spare time with family and friends, cooking, exploring the great outdoors (especially anywhere near the sea) and, occasionally, escaping into the fictional world of a great TV series.

Rebecca Raith

Italian team

Proofreader, translator
Ever since she was a child, the nature-loving book worm has split her time between Italy and Germany, which has allowed her to become familiar with both cultures. She honed her skills while studying translation and interpreting at the Faculty of Translation Studies, Linguistics and Cultural Studies in Germersheim, Germany, as well as during an exchange semester at the SSLMIT in Trieste, Italy, and now puts them to use supporting the Italian Team at Diction.

Corina Ramsauer

Head of Human Resources

As well as being an experienced professional, Corina has completed degrees in Translation, Business Administration, Intercultural Communication and Psychology. She joined Diction in 2012, and has put her natural enthusiasm and dedication to good use in a number of roles – initially as a proofreader, then as a team leader and now as Head of HR. Corina attributes her drive and energy to enjoying the great outdoors in her free time, her passion for reading and spending quality time with family and friends. For her, a thirst for knowledge, happiness and laughter are what really matter.

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Maria Raso

Client Relationship Manager I Automotive team

Maria was born in Eastern Switzerland, and discovered her passion for languages and cultures early on. When she heard about the bachelor’s degree in Applied Linguistics at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, she knew right away that it was the degree for her. Diction offered her the ideal way to use the languages she studied in her job. When she isn’t engrossed in a good book, Maria likes spending her time travelling, listening to music, or watching films and TV shows (usually in the original language).

Bianca Reischmann

Client Relationship Manager | Resource management assistant

Born in Berlin, with a German and Portuguese background, Bianca has been immersed in the world of language and culture from an early age. She quickly developed a particular love for all things Spanish, later moving to Spain to pursue a degree in translation and interpreting. In her spare time, she also enjoys dancing flamenco. Bianca has been working as a client relationship manager and resource manager assistant at Diction since 2015.

Elisabeth Rettelbach

Head of Marketing

Copywriter, translator
After spending time abroad in France, Sweden and Australia, the globetrotter with an advanced degree in translation had settled down in Boston. For almost 10 years she kept students in good spirits in their German classes, while also teaching German (apparently unsingable) to opera singers. In spring 2013, however, a curious mixture of homesickness and wanderlust drew her back to Europe and straight to Diction, where she spent years translating and copywriting before taking over marketing and communications in 2018. But also out of “office hours”, when the amateur author in her awakens, it’s all about the most unusual of words.

Andreas Rissi

Head of ICT

Andreas has been fascinated by technology since he was a child, and has turned his passion into his profession as an adult. After an apprenticeship as an electronics technician and a number of IT training courses, Andreas has had the opportunity to put his extensive IT knowledge to good use in a number of positions as a system technician and help desk manager. He particularly enjoys solving tricky, complex problems – which is why he is happy to make sure that things stay (relatively) quiet on the Diction IT front. His second great passion is photography – a hobby he considers to be the ultimate combination of art and technology.

Céline Rodriguez Barbur

Head of Project Management | Deputy Head of Client Relations

Born in Zurich, Céline has always been fascinated by other languages and cultures, so it’s easy to see what drew her to the translation industry. Various language placements and trips gave her the chance to improve her language skills and immerse herself in different cultures. She would mainly choose warm, sunny destinations, and Céline’s time in Cuba left a particular impression on her – in fact, she still likes nothing better than dancing to Cuban music. Now part of the Client Relations and Project Management teams at Diction, Céline puts her passion for languages and cultures and years of experience in the language services sector to full use on a daily basis.

Cécile Roffler

Client Relationship Manager I Finance and Legal team

Cécile has always wanted to work with languages, a desire that led her to study at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. But her bachelor’s degree only fuelled her fascination, so she followed it up with a master’s degree in applied linguistics, specialising in technical translation. After her studies in Winterthur, a few language holidays and an internship in Lucerne, she returned to the Rhine Valley. She now works for Diction’s Client Relations team. Cécile relaxes by curling up with a good crime novel or watching a TV series – in German, English and Spanish. In her spare time, she likes to meet up with friends, play board games or take part in one of her favourite sports – athletics, competitive shooting and hiking.

Seraina Rohr

Client Relationship Manager I Finance and Legal team

After completing her English degree at the Texas A&M University, Seraina, who was born in Switzerland, worked as a foreign languages teacher at a Texas state school for five years. She returned to Switzerland after nine years in the US and started looking for a different type of job that would still let her pursue her love of languages, and she now works on Diction’s Finance and Legal Client Relations team. Seraina is happy to be back near her family, and likes to craft and cook in her spare time.

Isabelle Schlatter

Deputy Head of the German team

Proofreader, translator
Isabelle knew from an early age that she wanted to pursue a career which would allow her to work with languages. Setting out on her travels from her home in Zurich, she spent time broadening her cultural and linguistic horizons in England, France and Australia, before returning to Switzerland to study for her master’s degree in applied linguistics (specialising in technical translation) at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. She now uses her linguistic talents in the German team, and also works on Russian translation projects here at Diction. She likes to spend any free time she has discovering foreign countries and their cultures, taking photographs, cooking or playing the piano – and somehow also finds the time to read the occasional book or two.

Marie Luise Schneider

Italian team

Proofreader
After completing her project and office management internship at Diction, Marie Luise, who was born in Magdeburg, decided to deepen her understanding of Romance languages with a master’s degree at the University of Konstanz. She then returned to Diction, where she is now able to pursue her linguistic passion as a member of the Italian team. Marie Luise loves cycling – she even worked as a bicycle courier when she was at university, so she certainly knows a thing or two about tight deadlines. She also enjoys jogging and swimming in her local lake, Lake Constance, or exploring one of the countless stunning natural landscapes Europe has to offer.

Laura Schuon

English team

Proofreader, translator
While studying law in Innsbruck, Laura decided that brushing up on her language skills seemed like a good idea. A master’s degree in translation was the logical next step, and law took a back seat. Alongside her studies, Laura took on freelance proofreading assignments and thus gained her first taste of life as a professional linguist. She now deploys this experience in the finance and legal section of the Diction English team. She loves spending her free time outdoors – preferably in the mountains and bike parks of Europe.

Wanda Schweda

French team

Proofreader, translator (On parental leave)
Following her studies, Wanda’s path brought her to Diction in Eastern Switzerland, where she now irons out mistakes and inconsistencies in texts, while amusing the team with her blend of dialects. The ambitious and cheerful bookworm never tires of languages and travel, spending even her leisure time globetrotting, chatting and reading.
She holds a BA in Multilingual Communication from the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting in Geneva, spent a year abroad in Paris, and took part in a “Celtic” exchange semester in Dublin through the Erasmus Programme.

Annina Spinelli

German team

Proofreader, translator
After studying translation at Zurich’s Schule für Angewandte Linguistik (SAL) and completing a semester abroad in Perth, Australia, Annina now edits German texts at Diction. In addition to reading a wide range of books in English and German, she spends her spare time relishing Italian, Japanese and Thai cuisine, or pursuing new artistic paths.

Lilia Staiger

German team

Proofreader, translator
This Russian German spent her first few years in Kazakhstan, where she spoke Russian and an old Swabian dialect. Her languages career took off at primary school in Germany, where she interpreted for other children from Russia. She went on to study German language and literature in Freiburg, and completed a higher academic qualification in European Business Management with foreign languages (English and French), including two internships in Paris and London. After several years as a copywriter and key account manager, she now indulges her passion for languages with the Diction German team and looks forward to the new challenges each day brings: checking texts, or writing them herself. Now right at home here in Switzerland, in her spare time she enjoys sports, as well as baking and decorating tarts. She also loves fashion and spicy food. She absolutely adores Spain, and spends her summer holidays every year in Alicante, on the beautiful Costa Blanca.

Mitarbeiterin Diction

Sara Stoffel

Resource Manager

Sara has always had a keen interest in languages. After completing her commercial apprenticeship, she decided to take the plunge, leave her hometown of Mols and head to the UK on a language placement. She found the experience so rewarding that she went straight into another placement afterwards, this time in France to brush up her French. Now a resource manager here at Diction, Sara works on projects covering a wide variety of languages every day. In her free time, she enjoys travelling and reading. She is also a member of her local gymnastics team and a Brownie leader.

Team_Praktikantin_Gina_Studer

Gina Studer

Italian team

Proofreader, translator
Fond memories of camping holidays in the Maggia Valley might be part of the reason that Gina, a Lucerne native, developed such a fondness for Italian. It was an easy decision, then, to take Italian lessons at school alongside English and French. After finishing school, she wanted to continue learning more about languages, so she decided to study Applied Linguistics at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and spent a semester in Milan. After gaining experience in HR and employer branding at a Swiss company, where she was also able to put her language skills to work, she joined the Italian team at Diction. She likes to spend her free time in the great outdoors – swimming and hiking in the summer and skiing in winter. On rainy days, you’ll probably find her curled up with a good book or watching a film (in German, or French, or English … or Italian).

Natacha Szkudlarek

French team

Proofreader, translator
Natacha was born in Poland, and, after growing up in France, went on to study in Germany. “Intercultural” is a word with which she has always had a special affinity. Baden-Baden has now become her second home, but with every visit to Buchs, she relishes the change of scenery from the beautiful views of the Black Forest to the charming mountain panoramas here in the Rhine Valley. This nature-loving multilinguist, who has been supporting the French team at Diction since spring 2014, can’t get enough of either! In her free time she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, heading out for a hike or immersing herself in an exciting crime thriller.

Katja Tenhaeff

Client Relationship Manager | Resource management assistant

While trying to trace her German and Baltic roots, Spanish native speaker Katja discovered her interest for the German language and culture. After five years in Freiburg, the avid reader (who you will never find without a Borges book) decided that it was time to return to Spain, where she continued to improve her language skills with a degree in translation and interpreting. She now provides support to Diction’s client relationship management team from Madrid.

Christine Traber

German team

Proofreader, copywriter
During her studies in Art History and Theatre, this native of Stuttgart, Germany, became acquainted with the proverbial Berlin dialect, coming to understand it at least by ear. However, she chose to devote herself instead to rather more highbrow words and expressions – editing exhibition catalogues or penning exhibition criticism. Back in her own corner of Germany, Christine worked as editor-in-chief of an international art publishing house, subsequently founding her own editorial office, which gave her the freedom to create her own texts, and her desire to write bloomed anew. Now, as part of the German team at Diction, Christine relishes the wide range of content and form of the texts she proofreads and copywrites, all the while enjoying the wonderful panoramic views of the mountains surrounding our head office. In her free time, she loves to read, write and cook (and not just Spätzle, the Swabian speciality), while reflecting on all the forgotten words out there just waiting to be rediscovered.

Martina Tramonti

Group Leader for Marketing Texts | Italian team

Translator
Martina was born in Desenzano del Garda, and made the decision to attend a specialist language school when she was 14. She has loved learning foreign languages ever since, and developed a fascination for German while studying translation and interpreting in Trento. After graduating, she moved to Munich with the aim of perfecting her German and gained her master’s degree in conference interpreting – and fell in love with the Bavarian capital. After gaining some experience as a resource coordinator and project manager in the translation industry, she grasped the chance to work as a translator at Diction and make the best use of her language skills. Besides foreign languages, her hobbies also include photography, music, travel and sport.

Tilo Voltz

German team

Proofreader
Having swapped his hometown of Magdeburg for Leipzig, where he completed his master’s in German and English Studies, Tilo decided to switch career paths and began working in the IT sector. He set up a small company and gained a great deal of experience creating IT landscapes for clients, before later making the bold decision to move to Vancouver. As part of his new life in Canada, Tilo has come full circle and gone back to his linguistic roots, working the night shift for our German team as a proofreader. Vancouver is also the perfect place for Tilo to pursue his passion for the great outdoors, and he spends his free time out on the water, up in the mountains or deep in the rainforest in search of adventure. Whenever he gets a spare minute, he makes sure to update his blog so his family and friends back home know what he’s up to.

Team_Ressourcenmanagement_Astrid_Wildhaber

Astrid Wildhaber

Resource Manager

Born in Bern and with strong links to Peru, Astrid moved to Aargau when she was 22. She likes nothing better than travelling and getting to know other languages and cultures. As a resource manager at Diction, Astrid feels right at home in our international, multilingual world, as she gets to work with interesting language experts on a daily basis.

Franziska Winkler

Client Relationship Manager I Finance and Legal team

The qualified management assistant always knew that she would one day turn her passion for languages into a career. And she did precisely that, studying translation at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Winterthur with a semester in Belgium, before taking on the task of ensuring smooth order processing at Diction. In her free time Franziska, who comes from Werdenberg, can often be found reading a French crime novel in a cafe or flitting over the Rheindamm on her inline skates.

Chris Wright

English team

Proofreader, translator
Chris felt at home right away when he joined Diction – possibly because he had already spent two years living in Switzerland when he was (quite a bit) younger. But his love of foreign languages and far-off shores might also have something to do with it. In the course of his translation studies at the University of Bath in the UK, he spent a year in Germany and Russia. His ambition in life is to speak perfect Spanish, a goal made easier with the support of his wife, a native of Gran Canaria. In the evenings after work, Chris can be found in the kitchen, cooking to a soundtrack of classical music, Pink Floyd or Elvis depending on his mood. However, when Manchester United are playing, dinner has to wait.

Xuesong Wu

Coordinator for Multilanguage Projects and DTP

Her roots are in China, her home in Switzerland. In addition to studying German philology in Shanghai and economics in Mannheim, Xuesong has worked internationally as a translator, interpreter and market researcher. At Diction, Xuesong takes care of Chinese translations and helps to coordinate multilingual projects and DTP tasks.

Franziska Zeintl

French team

Proofreader, translator (On parental leave)
To walk in the footsteps of predecessors. For Franziska – progeny of a teaching dynasty – this almost became a reality. She definitely carries a red pen, but not to the classroom, oh no, that red pen rather accompanies her each day as she makes her way to Diction.
After her studies in international cultural and business studies, a year abroad in England and a two-year stay in Paris, she worked in the distribution of paints and tiles. Now employed at Diction, she is thrilled at the opportunity to turn her lifelong passion into a profession, dem-onstrating her mastery of French on a daily basis – much to the satisfaction of Diction’s clients.

Team_Ressourcenmanagement_Ana Zhorzholiani

Ana Zhorzholiani

Resource Manager

Ana grew up in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. After completing a humanities degree and gaining several years of experience in school administration in Tbilisi, she spent 10 years living in Germany, where she learned German while working in the services industry. She then completed a master’s degree in business administration in Göttingen before moving to Switzerland in 2020. Ana’s biggest passions are languages and travel, and she loves reading, playing the piano and spending time with her family.

Gerhard Zollinger

Chief Financial Officer

Gerhard has always had a fascination for finance. As language services provider, Diction generally deals with words and letters – but we still need to make sure the numbers add up. That’s where Gerhard comes in. With a degree in business administration, a post-graduate degree in controlling, an MBA, and many years of experience, he certainly has the right expertise for the job.

Marie-Thérèse Zuber

German team

Proofreader, translator
Marie-Thérèse grew up in Bern with three languages and two cultures, and so it was no surprise that she developed a wide range of interests – languages, art, astronomy and more – at an early age. After completing her bank apprenticeship and moving to Zurich, she spent several years working for a large bank, where she was responsible for communication within Switzerland in almost all of the official national languages and writing internal bank documents. She now uses her skills in the German team to ensure that each text is grammatically flawless and stylistically attractive. When she isn’t working, she likes to keep fit by dancing – and even spent a short time working as a part-time dance teacher for children and young people. Marie-Thérèse likes to relax by exploring her artistic side and is an avid drawer.

Anna Zuliani

Italian team

Subtitler, translator
For this Italian, hailing from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, language has always been immutably linked to imagery – both moving and fixed. Following her studies in German and English translation and interpreting at the University of Udine, she applied for an additional qualification in film subtitling in Berlin. At the same time – and why not? – this travel-mad linguist learnt Swedish, and spent a lot of time in beautiful Stockholm. Before joining the Diction Italian team in 2017, she spent several years subtitling films and commercials, and translating comics, children’s books and advertisements. In her free time, she loves to indulge her passion for cinema festivals and book fairs, or arranges her own readings. Whenever possible, she likes to take some time out from her adopted home city of Berlin to go sailing and swimming along the coast of Trieste.