Exploring Leadership and AI in Localization with Pascale Tremblay

Today on Merging Minds, we had the pleasure of chatting with Pascale Tremblay, a seasoned globalization leader with a passion for languages and culture. Now based in Seattle, Pascale brings a whole lot of experience in localization, product evangelization and storytelling.

Making Connections through Language

Pascale’s journey into localization is fascinating. Growing up in Quebec, she developed a love for languages and cultures, which eventually led her to a career in localization. “I was always curious about languages, trying to understand the correlation between different tongues.” 

She was captivated by the labels and packaging of everyday products, trying to decode the English words, and things clicked when Pascale walked into a Gap store and saw bilingual signage that she felt could be improved. This sparked a desire to bring better language experiences to customers, setting her on her Localization path.

That passion drove her from a small town in Quebec to global roles in major companies like Gap and Old Navy, where she built solid localization programs. And as Pascale’s career progressed, she moved from execution to leadership, taking on roles that allowed her to shape and expand localization programs. 

Her approach was not just about translating words but about creating meaningful connections through language.

Leadership with a vision

Now when it comes to leadership, Pascale emphasizes the importance of vision and letting go. “As a leader, you need to create a platform for your team to grow and become advocates for your program,” she explains. 

That very lesson helped Pascale transition from executing tasks to guiding her team towards achieving a shared vision, fostering creativity and curiosity along the way.

And in these times where AI is the word of day, Pascale highlights the need for a balanced approach. “AI is transforming our workflows, but the human touch remains crucial,” she notes. 

She's an advocate for integrating AI thoughtfully into the localization framework, ensuring that technology enhances rather than replaces human expertise. The importance of creating a language intelligence methodology that leverages data while maintaining the richness of human experience is a major for Pascale - and we at Bureau Works could not agree more.

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Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Change

Pascale shares insights into handling resistance to change, a common challenge in any industry. “Understanding your business partners and their goals is key to overcoming reluctance,” she advises. 

By fostering curiosity and understanding the broader business context, Pascale has successfully navigated numerous transformations in the language industry.

When it comes to the future of language capabilities, Pascale says she's optimistic. She envisions a future where language becomes an integral layer in all technologies, enhancing interoperability and expanding into multimodal content creation.

“The seeds of innovation are already planted; it’s about nurturing them to see what they become,” she says.

So much so that when asked to define the future in one word, she chose “connection,” reflecting her belief in the power of human interaction and shared experiences.

Keep the conversation going

For those looking to connect with Pascale or learn more about her work, she is active on LinkedIn and pretty engaged in the Seattle localization community as well. 

She’s also hosting a tech panel at the Vancouver Localization User Group event on May 14th, which promises to be an exciting opportunity for industry enthusiasts.

Thank you for sharing your journey and insights with us, Pascale! We hope folks enjoyed this episode as much as we did and feel inspired by your approach to leadership and innovation in localization. 

Stay tuned for more engaging conversations on Merging Minds!