“The Peripatetic Polyglot”

ACFairbank Consulting is a sole proprietorship, owned by Angela Fairbank, M.A., who has over twenty-five years' experience working in business internationally. To her Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Spanish from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, and a Master of Arts in Translation from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey, California, Angela has added current studies in business, language interpretation, photography and web design. Educated in Vancouver, Quebec, California, France, Switzerland, Spain and Belgium, Angela has had a long career in translation and interpretation, and has studied over ten languages. She worked several years for a multi-governmental organisation and then in education and publishing in Belgium as well as a number of years as a top administrator for a multinational manufacturing business in Hong Kong. Most recently, Angela was working in the Caribbean providing assistance to tourists in six languages. Business and leisure activities combined have taken Angela to six continents and over ninety countries and have provided her with a detailed insight into numerous cultures and a deep understanding of international business practices. Angela has frequently taken an active part in cultural bridging among Asians, Africans, North Americans, Central Americans, South Americans and Europeans.

ACFairbank Consulting helps companies expand their businesses into international markets. We bridge cultures and languages for our clients to improve understanding. Following the guidelines of the United Nations' Agenda 21, we are targeting socially-responsible and environmentally-minded businesses. We aim, through our languages and cultural-bridging, to create understanding between business peoples of the world so as to contribute to world peace.

Gathering Strategic Information - Through contact with foreign government trade offices, attendance at trade shows and research, we target our client industry's key players overseas in order to create business relationships for them.

Forming Business Alliances with Targeted Suppliers and Customers - Once the client industry's key players overseas have been targeted and contacted, we assist in creating correspondence in the necessary languages with an aim to ensure that the goals of the client and target customer or supplier coincide.

Interpreting and Translating - We set up face-to-face meetings in a mutually convenient place with a number of target customers and/or suppliers. At the client's request, we provide interpreting at these meetings and translate texts in preparation for the meetings.

Customer Relationship Building - Should the client be unable to travel, we personally meet with the target customers/suppliers, visit their industries and premises and write up a comprehensive report for the client complete with photographs. Next we report in person to the client and give suggestions and recommendations on which targeted customers/suppliers are the most viable for the client's overseas business and, more importantly, when and how to proceed.

Negotiating, Trouble-shooting and Mediating - We negotiate on the client's behalf with targeted customers/suppliers and under the client's guidelines, and produce mutually beneficial results. Should problems arise after the business with the targeted customer/supplier has begun, we will (within reason) travel to the customer/supplier's country at short notice to solve any matters requiring face-to-face resolution.