Your words are my business

My knowledge of Russian springs from a passion for the language.
I was lucky enough to be able to start studying Russian in my early teens, enabling me to lay a solid and secure foundation for degree and post-graduate studies. My passion for the language was the impetus behind my two periods of residence in Russia: five months in Rostov on Don as assistant professor of English at Rostov University in 1991, and 2 ½ years in Moscow 1998-2001 working for Aon Insurance Brokers. Living in Russia among the Russians through these two post-crisis periods has given me a unique insight into the culture. These periods of residence, continued contact with my Russian friends and regular travel to the post-Soviet region has helped me to maintain my near native fluency in spoken Russian.

I have worked with or in the insurance sector of the post Soviet states since its inception.
Initially I was a journalist, observer and translator for East European Insurance Report (then a publication of the Financial Times group). Later I took a more active role through my work with an insurance and reinsurance broker in the region. Working as a translator/interpreter I helped the ground-breaking professionals in the fledgling insurance industry of the CIS and the London markets to design products which suited the requirements of the new economies. An understanding not only of the jargon involved, but also of the underlying business culture was essential to the communication process.

My other passion in life is music.
I am actively involved in music-making locally, and it has been my pleasure to meet and work with Russian musicians from the classical, jazz, folk and rock circuits. I particularly relish the challenge of translating song lyrics.