About us

Els Van Humbeeck has more than 20 years of experience in various management positions in the media, security and HR sectors.

After obtaining a master’s degree in History and a pedagogical diploma, she chose to undertake a Management course and to study for an MBA at the Solvay Business School. A long journey travelling through Central and South America sparked her interest in language and culture. She later learned the tricks of the HR profession while working at Hudson. And she gained additional policy experience as a member of the management team at DPG Media.

Els currently supports the Untranslate team as an HR coach and Operations Manager, and is developing a personnel policy there. For her it is crystal clear: the basis of success is putting the right person in the right place and ensuring the team is motivated. This mantra has helped her manage teams, empower people, and allow them to grow and develop throughout their career. In addition, she assists in the coordination of large and more complex projects.

In her spare time, Els likes to travel. And when she’s not travelling, she loves to cook, preferably with products she has grown as part of her other passion: gardening.

As far as she can remember, literature, languages and words have always been a passion for Elise Haja.  Her bilingual environment – French and Dutch – was undoubtedly of great influence. When she realised translation combined those three areas of expertise, she chose to make it her university major.  She challenged herself to learn new languages in addition to French, Dutch and English she already mastered, and started a curriculum in German and Russian at the École de Traduction et Interprétation ISTI – Cooremans in Brussels.

After obtaining a Master’s degree in Literary Translation, she decided to carry out a PhD research in Translation Studies applied to Russian Literature at the Université libre de Bruxelles. At the end of first professional experiences in Paris and London, she returned to the motherland and joined the Untranslate team in early 2020. She holds the position of French translator, and takes care of translating and revising a range of various types of texts.

In her free time, Elise likes to read, train her Thaï boxing, travel and broaden her knowledge about healthy lifestyle and nutrition.

Due to her great interest in language and culture, Sarah studied Linguistics and Literature at KU Leuven in 2012. American literature and literary studies soon proved to be her favourite themes. After completing her Bachelor’s degree in English and Dutch, she obtained a Master’s degree in Western Literature and an Advanced Master’s degree in Literary Studies, also at KU Leuven.

In 2018 Sarah started her career in the publishing world. As an assistant publisher for education, social policy, and welfare, she learned the ropes. At the same time, she took her first steps as a freelance editor, editor-in-chief, and copywriter. She worked for various marketing companies, publishers, non-profit organisations, and (digital) newspapers. Whether it’s sports, interior design, politics, or care for the elderly: Sarah enjoys tackling the most diverse themes. Since 2020 she has been using her knowledge and skills at Untranslate, where she works as a copywriter in both Dutch and English.

In her free time, she studies psychology at KU Leuven and enjoys learning about biology in general and neurology in particular. She enjoys coffee, music, gaming, going out and cuddling with her cats Mia and Geertje. Her favourite travel destination is Germany.

Maaike quickly realised that she wanted to do something with languages. No sooner said than done, she enrolled in the Bachelor’s Applied Linguistics at Ghent University. Of all the languages, English and Spanish made her corazón beat faster. To put her language skills into practice, she also went on Erasmus to the lively city of Seville during her studies. In the Master’s Multilingual Communication, she learned to communicate fluently in those different languages.

As icing on the cake, Maaike decided not to throw in the towel during the pandemic. She chose to acquire extra knowledge in the postgraduate Computer-Assisted Language Mediation. In that postgraduate, she was introduced to different language technology areas and tools. After her enriching internship at Untranslate, she stayed and she is now a permanent employee.

In her spare time, Maaike likes to watch all kinds of Netflix series preferably with a home-made dessert. She also enjoys going on trips with friends and family, of which she always makes a photo book afterwards.

Eugénie had the chance to grow up in a bilingual environment: since early childhood, she has been alternating between Dutch at school and French at home. When she had to choose a course of study at school, she immediately decided to do something with languages. Spanish, French, Dutch, English and German were all part of her curriculum and Eugénie thrived. Driven by her passion for languages, she decided to study translation and interpretation in German and Italian at the Université Saint-Louis in Brussels.

After obtaining her bachelor’s degree, Eugénie pursued a master’s in political communication and lobbying, where she developed strong writing skills.

Upon finishing her studies, Eugénie wanted to contribute to the educational sector. She started teaching French at a Dutch-speaking technical school as a member of the NGO Teach for Belgium.

Through the years, Eugénie has never forgotten her first love: languages. This is why she was thrilled to join the Untranslate team as a translator and project manager.

From an early age, Emme loved language, literature and culture. English in particular soon turned out to be right up her alley. While studying linguistics and literature at UGent, she decided to combine English with Spanish, two languages linked to a rich culture. Literary and cultural subjects in both languages were immediately among her favourites.

After completing her master’s degree, Emme realised that she not only loved reading, but also writing. She therefore pursued an additional master’s degree in journalism at HUB. The highlight of this study was an internship at Knack Weekend, one of her favourite magazines. She then worked at the travel company Thomas Cook for several years as a content creator. There she explored the world and the content marketing profession through writing.

In 2020, Emme started working at Hello Customer as a natural language engineer. She was introduced to Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing, and once again a new world opened up for her. Still, the writing bug kept biting… This is how Emme ended up at Untranslate, where she supports the team as a project manager, language specialist and copywriter. It offers her the perfect opportunity to combine and further develop her passion for writing and knowledge of language (technology).

In her spare time, Emme likes watching films or series, as well as reading a good book. She also enjoys making trips and dining with family and friends. She regularly gets to work in the kitchen herself to conjure up delicious dishes and cakes.

In everything Elmo does language plays a central role. In high school, he studied Latin-Modern Languages for six years. In the last two years of high school, he fell in love with Spanish. When he had to choose a Bachelor’s, there was no doubt: he would enrol in the Bachelor’s Applied Linguistics at KU Leuven in Brussels and study English, Dutch and, of course, Spanish. Despite COVID, he got the chance to do an exchange in Granada, a city that stole his heart.

Fond as he was of translation, he didn’t second-guess his Master’s either. He stayed in Brussels and got his Master’s degree in Translation. Afterwards, he wanted to expand his knowledge even more, so he decided to enrol in the Postgraduate Programme in Translation Technology.

In his spare time, Elmo reads an awful lot: fiction, non-fiction, literature, poetry, … It’s all good. He also tries to gain work experience by subtitling for various film festivals. But he really unwinds when he gets the chance to play a few songs on his guitar.

From a young age, Jarne knew he had a flair for languages. English had always been one of his favourite classes. That is why he opted for Modern Languages and Sciences in his last two years of high school. When he graduated, the choice of what to do next did not present much of a challenge. Jarne decided to pursue his passion and enrolled in the Bachelor of Applied Languages (Dutch, English and Spanish) at Ghent University. During his studies, Jarne had the opportunity to go on an exchange and he grabbed that opportunity with both hands. He flew all the way across the ocean to study at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia in the United States, where he thrived in a multicultural environment and further refined his language skills. 

After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree, Jarne chose to continue at Ghent University and enrolled in the master Multilingual Communication, again specialising in Dutch, English and Spanish. He learned lots about the ins and outs of companies’ internal, external and crisis communication in various sectors. Yet, that knowledge did not satisfy Jarne’s hunger for more and that led him to pursue a second Master in Translation. And now he is here, interning at Untranslate for six weeks, to gain more experience in the professional field and further refine, among others, his language and translation skills.

In his spare time, Jarne likes to relax with a book in his hands or with his headphones on blasting his favourite music. You will also often find him in the cinema, at concerts or at football games supporting his sister who plays for RSC Anderlecht Women. Last but not least, Jarne is an avid traveller and enjoys going for a drink or two with his friends at his favourite Irish pub, Patrick Foley’s.

With a love for languages and a passion for travelling, Maxence decided to study Oriental Languages and Cultures at Ghent University. This allowed her to immerse herself in the Japanese kanji, history and culture, with the highlight of her studies being an exchange semester in Japan. After travelling all around, Japan no longer had any secrets for her, and she successfully obtained her Master’s degree.

Maxence wanted to gain some more experience before she really started working. That’s why she decided to acquire more practical knowledge and enrol in the postgraduate Computer-Assisted Language Mediation. She had her first encounter with different kinds of communication and language technology. Now she hopes to put her knowledge into practice during an internship at Untranslate.

In her spare time, Maxence likes to read and go out with friends or her youth movement. She is also trying to learn a new hobby; crocheting.

Harleen describes herself as a language enthusiast. She was raised in a multilingual household in India, interacting in three different languages: Punjabi, Hindi, and English. It was within this setting and living on a subcontinent with incredible linguistic and cultural diversity that from a young age, she became curious about language and its influence on culture and society. It was no surprise that Harleen pursued a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Language and Translation Studies in India, which marked the beginning of her translation career.

Her love for the Spanish language and culture led her to Spain, where she spent two years working as an English Language and Cultural Assistant in Malaga, Andalusia. This experience not only deepened her love for Spain and its vibrant culture but also strengthened her desire to work in the language industry. Eager to further her expertise, Harleen pursued a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics and Literary Studies at Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Her academic journey has equipped her with advanced knowledge in translation and language technologies, with a specialization in mediation and communication.

Joining Untranslate represents Harleen’s first professional foray in the language industry, driven by her aspiration to transition from teaching English to becoming a language specialist. She is eager to learn and grow in a professional setting and is enthusiastic about the opportunities at Untranslate. Her previous experience of working with children and her fondness for teaching continues to inspire her journey.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Harleen finds joy in cooking and exploring new cuisines. She is passionate about learning languages and is currently learning French and Dutch. Since moving to Europe, traveling has become a significant part of her life, and she looks forward to discovering new cultures around the globe.

Nathalie De Sutter can look back on more than 20 years of experience in the language sector. After successfully studying for a Master’s degree in Oriental Languages and Cultures at Ghent University, and topping that off with postgraduate studies in Multilingual Business Communication at the University of Antwerp, she became acquainted with Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing (NLP) for the first time. At Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products (LHSP), she worked on the development of a Text-To-Speech system for Hindi and Urdu. Before she decided to set up her own partner company within the Cronos Group in 2015, she was employed in various roles as a key account manager and consultant, while at the same time she completed various studies, also at the Vlerick Business School.

All this expertise comes in handy at Untranslate. This is because the company not only provides professional translation services, but also advice about language technology (NLP, terminology management, semantic search, machine translation and process automation). She also acts as a guest lecturer at KU Leuven, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), UGent and Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB).

In her spare time, Nathalie likes to travel, but she also enjoys spending time in the squash court and on the piste.