Name Jurga Zilinskiene | ||
Brexit – The Voices of European Business: Jurga Zilinskiene
Jurga Zilinskiene (Lithuanian: Jurga Žilinskienė, born 2 August 1976) is an entrepreneur, programmer and founder of Today Translations, a global translation company.
Contents
- Brexit The Voices of European Business Jurga Zilinskiene
- Early life
- Today Translations
- Charity
- Personal life
- Awards
- Television Appearances
- References
A summation in the City AM described Zilinskiene as: '...one hell of a formidable businesswoman... a Lithuanian-born cross between Richard Branson and Margaret Thatcher... combined perhaps with shades of Warren Buffett, whose frugality and dislike of shopping and ostentation she shares'.
Zilinskiene has been interviewed in many national newspapers about Today Translations and her unconventional approach to business. She has appeared in the Financial Times, the Independent on Sunday, Daily Telegraph and the business website, Growing Business.
Early life
At 19, she moved to Britain to study law and economics at the University of London.
Today Translations
In 2001, while at university, Zilinskiene set up Today Translations – for which she was awarded the Shell Live Wire Award for Young Entrepreneurs in 2003.
Zilinskiene funded Today Translations with £13,000 of personal investment and it continues to operate without external funding. This example of bootstrapping is rare within the City. Currently, the company has a global network of 3,000 translators and interpreters.
Zilinskiene frequently engages in government and media briefings, as well as forums organised by multinational companies. In 2006, Zilinskiene organised a trade mission with over 20 delegates from multinational organisations such as Merrill Lynch, to seize business opportunities in Lithuania. The trade mission involved Lithuanian parliamentarians and British diplomats, causing international media interest. To mark the success of the trip, Zilinskiene was given the Duke of Edinburgh Award for her contribution to enhancing international trade by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
In October 2010, she was nominated to, and accepted, the Freedom of the City of London at a ceremony in the Guildhall, becoming the first female Lithuanian to receive the Freeman title. She was subsequently recognised as a Liveryman to the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers, one of the City's oldest fellowships. She also sits on the China Interest Group Committee.
In June 2013, Zilinskiene took part in a panel discussion at Forum One in Kaunas, Lithuania, the biggest business leadership event to ever take place in Eastern Europe. The event featured some of the brightest Lithuanian business minds and a special talk by one of Zilinskiene's business idols, Sir Richard Branson.
In recognition of her sustained business success, Zilinksiene was invited to be part of the judging panel for the Shell Live Wire Award for Young Entrepreneurs in 2015, the award she herself received 12 years prior.
In September 2016, Zilinskiene was selected to participate in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative aimed at supporting SMEs. She graduated from the programme in the same year. Shortly afterwards Zilinskiene was also invited to attend an Executive Education course at Harvard Business School.
Charity
Zilinskiene donates a percentage of Today Translations' net profits from online sales to the UK Fairtrade Foundation.
In September 2012, Zilinskiene co-hosted the Courage and Benevolence Ball alongside the English actor, Sir Timothy Ackroyd at Café de Paris in London. The event was sponsored by Today Translations and raised over £13,000 towards Epidermolysis Bullosa research and treatment for the charity, DebRA.
Personal life
Zilinskiene is married to David Clarke, a former Chief Superintendent at City of London Police.
Awards
Television Appearances
Matt Cooke, reporter for BBC London News interviewed Zilinskiene in June 2011 regarding her involvement in the Ready to Supply programme run by the City of London Corporation. A scheme aimed at spreading wealth and employment beyond the square mile through practical advice and business support to SMEs who are looking to procure from large organisations.
In October 2009, Zilinskiene was interviewed by STV about the initiative launched by Today Translations to recruit Glaswegian interpreters. The Glaswegian interpreter campaign was similar to the recruitment of Geordie, Scouse and Brooklynese interpreters. However, this was met with some trepidation and controversy around the need to translate local dialects.
In November 2016, Zilinskiene’s company Today Translations advertised for ‘the world’s first emoji translator’, which received widespread media coverage. As a result of the unusual job advertisement, Zilinskeine appeared on BBC, ITV News, and Vice, as well as several radio stations.