I have more than 20 years of experience in Banking and Finance.  My first career was as an investment banker/fund manager where I focussed on fixed income, foreign exchange and derivatives for major financial institutions including Goldman Sachs and HSBC.   I was born in the United States but have spent most of my life living in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. My language experience comes from having attended secondary school (Gymnasium) in Germany, university in Austria, and I spent five years living in the Czech Republic where I assisted the government in their transition from a command economy to a market economy.  My educational background is in International Economics, but I also have a Master's in Translation from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. I have a natural expertise for any type of financial/commercial document, but I can also provide exceptional quality translations in the real estate sector (I am a licensed real estate broker in the USA and I run my own property development company), gardening and horticulture (I have a diploma in Garden Design from Capel Manor College in the UK) and all things culinary (I am currently working on a degree in Culinary Arts with an emphasis on baking and pastry arts).  I am used to working under intense pressure with tight deadlines.  I am extremely professional and understand the important of accurate work, and I use the latest CAT tools to ensure quality and consistency. I am always forthright with my clients in that I will not accept a job for which I am not qualified (e.g. technical documents in medicine, engineering, etc.). Having been a user of translation services during my previous career, I know from experience how important it is to have information conveyed precisely, accurately and in a timely manner.