Valentina Méndez Santurión

Native English Interpreter & Translator

A driven service oriented English native speaker educated professional with a compelling combination of strategic thinking, teaching, translator and conference interpreter for leading companies.

Summary

  • More than 10 years experience in the local hotel industry in Uruguay. Family-run business ('Hosteria Fortín de Santa Rosa' and Start-up 'Hosteria Fortín de San Miguel').
  • Fully qualified in Hotel Management (Degree: BA Direzione Alberghiera. Scuola di Scienze Turistiche - Rome. Italy).
  • Customer services trainer for OCWEN and SABRE Inc.
  • More than 7 years experience as a Simultaneous Conference Interpreter.
  • More than 10 years experience as a Corporate Business Teacher for top executives: private bankers, accountants, financial advisors, lawyers, and pharmaceutical industry.
  • 8 years experience working in a high pressure environment for United Airlines Inc. at Carrasco International Airport.
  • Worked across various translation and interpretation projects including medical prospectus.
  • Successful, motivated business entrepreneur with excellent results working with high profile companies and senior level executives.
  • Solid pragmatic insight into business processes and appreciation of intricacies of dealing with diverse cultures, backgrounds and systems.
  • Mentored and coached teachers, new hires.

Professional Experience 2018-2004

  • Art/Literary
  • Bus/Financial
  • General/Other
  • Law/Patents
  • Marketing
  • Medical/Pharma
  • Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Tech/Engineering

Conference Interpreter

  • "Joint Meeting of IV Pan American Course of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery & American Academy of Otolaryngology" - Head and Neck Surgery. - USA/URY/IND/ARG/TWN/ESP/PRY/BRA.
  • "World Rugby U20" - URY.
  • "Huaweii Antel" - URY.
  • "McCann" - URY.
  • "Desachate" - URY.
  • "Abbot Laboratories".
  • CUDECOOP "Cumbre de Cooperativas 2016" - URY.
  • ISA/ISPID Congress "International Conference on SIDS, Stillbirth and Baby Survival".
  • "Desachate" - URY.
  • "Montes del PLata" - URY.
  • "UNASUR".
  • "MERCOSUR".
  • "Universidad de Montevideo" for Prof. Dean Karlan (Yale University) - URY.
  • "ALADI: Red para el desarrollo de la Historia Clínica Electrónica en Latinoamérica" - URY.
  • "J.M. Coetzee" (Nobel Prize in Literature) - URY.
  • "Bring Change 2 Mind", Ms. Glenn Close - URY.
  • "PUENTES" seminar - URY.
  • The President of Uruguay, "Mr. José Mujica" and European, Canadian, New Zealand ambassadors appointed in Uruguay and Argentina - URY.
  • The President of Uruguay, "Mr. José Mujica" and the General Secretary of the United Nations, "Mr. Ban Ki-Moon" - URY.
  • Chief Negotiations between "MERCOSUR – European Union" - URY.
  • "Cell Stem Save" - URY.
  • "The Tennis Integrity Unit" (ENG/ITA) - URY.
  • "Kaumann Rubber Technologies" - URY/ESP/USA.
  • Hotel Industry.

Translations

  • Bylaws and contracts for Pharmaceutical Industry - Worldwide.
  • Film script "Luz" by Juan Solanas (ARG) and "Monos" for Executive producer Fernando Epstein - URY.
  • INEEd-OECD "The Uruguayan Education System" - URY.
  • Best-selling Book on Arabian horses "The Egyptian Alternative" by Philippe Paraskevas - EGY.
  • Julian Assange "Why the World Needs Wikileaks" for TED: www.ted.com
  • Genomics, Craig Venter "Unveils Synthetic Life" for TED: www.ted.talks.com
  • "Rio Oil and Gas 2010" Petrobras – URY.
  • Film script "El Rincón de Darwin" - URY.
  • "Harley Davidson Latam" website - URY.
  • Film script "El Cinco de Talleres" for the producers of Uruguayan films "25 Watts" and "Whisky" - URY.
  • Pharmaceutical Industry - URY.
  • Laboratorio Antia & Moll website - UY. (www.efa.com.uy)
  • H.P. Lovecraft stories adapted into adult comics (Editorial Norma Spain) - ESP. (www.kbz.com.uy/hr)
  • "Después del Día 10" by Carlitos Páez of his experience in the Andes in 1972 - URY.
  • "Oda a las Flores de Datitla" Pablo Neruda poems - URY/ESP/GBR.
  • "Defense for Children International", NGO International Secretariat - BEL.
  • Essays presented at "Wharton University" - USA.
  • "ERA: Expenses Reduction Analysts" - GBR.
  • Voiceover for the BBC, Documentary for "SIGA: Sistema Integral de Gestión Ambiental" - CAN.

Education

2018 Certificate in simultaneous translation (Universidad de Montevideo).

1998 - 1999 TESOL Teacher Training Course (Trinity College of London).
Certificate in Teaching English to speakers of other languages.

1993 Direzione Alberghiera (Scuola Internazionale di Scienze Turistiche, Roma, Italia)
Lingua Italiana, Economía, Psico-sociologia, Contabilitá, Techniche dell'Organizzazzione e Gestione Alberghiera, Progettazione Alberghiera, Investimenti e Analisi de Fattibilitá, Legislazione Turístiche y Alberghiera Italiana, Marketing.

1989- 2000 Comunicación Social (Universidad de La República Oriental del Uruguay).

Languages

English (Native Speaker)
Spanish (Excellent command of the language)
Italian (Spoken and written)
Portuguese (Spoken and aural)

Testimonials

"I am a Professor and Vice Chair of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey, USA, and the Chair of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey. Ms. Mendez and her team performed simultaneous translation for my lectures during the IV Curso de la Asociación Panamericana de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello, Punta del Este, Uruguay in October 2017, including translating my presentations during the meeting back to Spanish for the non-English speaking attendees. Valentina’s translation work was outstanding and surely helped me during this very important meeting. I would wholeheartedly recommend Valentina and her team for this type of challenging translation work."Jean Anderson Eloy, M.D., F.A.C.S. - USA.
Professor and Vice Chairman
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Director, Rhinology and Sinus Surgery
Director, Otolaryngology Research
Co-Director, Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery Program
Professor of Neurological Surgery
Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

"Of all the translators I have worked with Valentina Méndez is undoubtedly
 the best. Not only does she comprehend the subtleties and complexities of Spanish, but she also knows how to convey in English what I want to express
 in my comics."Hernán Rodríguez - "Visiones" Comic book, ESP.


This is to recommend Valentina Méndez for any and all translation work into Spanish. My own experience with her work, in a specialized field, was excellent in terms of quality and keeping to deadlines. I would most definitely work with her again.Phillipe Paraskevas - "The Egyptian Alternative" Best seller, EGY.

Personal Interests

Keen outdoor & adventure enthusiast – training Arabian horses for endurance, enjoy sports and general keep fit, tennis.
References available upon request.