10 | Acquisition International, August 2026 cultures, and ways of operating that must be streamlined. As the Vice President of Operations at Translate.One, Soraya Barrera Coello has been responsible for bringing coherence to these individual factors. As Translate.One has grown and evolved, Soraya has successfully harmonised systems, people, and strategy across borders without ever losing sight of what makes each part of these businesses valuable. This is the context in which every initiative, every client relationship, and every leadership decision made at Translate.One sits. “Transformation is easy to talk about in the abstract,” she told us. “What is harder, and what I am most proud of, is making it real inside a business that is genuinely complex, genuinely international, and genuinely growing. The kind of environment where there is no perfect playbook, where you have to write the playbook as you go, and where the people around you have to trust you enough to follow while you do.Transformational leadership is not a grand gesture; it is a thousand small decisions made consistently, with structure, care, and an unwavering belief that the destination is worth the journey.” Though she has made significant waves across Translate.One, this professional path was never one Soraya had planned. This journey first began with a challenge presented to Soraya as a Project Manager that, at the time, had felt completely overwhelming: building an around-theclock project management operation for a major pharmaceutical client. This task encompassed 24/7 coverage, three different countries, and a team Soraya was tasked with recruiting, training, and coordinating almost all from scratch. “What I discovered in that experience changed everything; I didn’t just survive it, I thrived in it,” she recalled. “There was something about the complexity, the moving parts, the human puzzle of aligning people across continents toward one shared goal, that lit something up in me. That project became my unofficial MBA in operations leadership.” From there, the path unfolded quite naturally for Soraya as she moved through the roles of Team Lead, Head of Production, and now, VP of Operations at Translate.One. Responsible for leading the transformation, integration, and strategy of a business that has grown significantly through acquisition around the world, Soraya has been recognised as the Most Transformational Operations Leader 2026 in Global Localisation Services. To any aspiring leaders who wish to follow these inspirational footsteps, Soraya advised, “Put the right people in the right positions. This is arguably the most important decision a leader makes. Get this wrong and no strategy in the world will save you. Get it right and you barely have to push. The momentum builds itself.” She continued, “Normalise failure. This one changed how I lead. The most successful people I know – and the most successful companies – are not the ones who never get it wrong. They are the ones who failed, reflected, and came back stronger. If you want a team that takes initiative and thinks creatively, they need to know that an idea not working out is not a career-defining moment. It is part of the process.” Finally, Soraya shared, “Be patient. With your journey, with your team, and with yourself. Leadership is not a destination you arrive at. It is something you practice, imperfectly, every single day. Leadership is a privilege. Treat it like one.” Contact: Soraya Barrera Coello Company: Translate.One, LLC Web Address: www.translate.one Translating Organisational Structure into Operational Success “I didn’t choose operations. Operations chose me and, every year, I’m more convinced it was the right match. ” Translate.One’s mission is to connect the world through language, helping organisations communicate effectively across borders, cultures, and markets. The company combines innovative technology, artificial intelligence, and human expertise to deliver tailored multilingual content solutions that enable businesses to grow globally while maintaining accuracy, consistency, and cultural relevance. With a specialism extending beyond traditional translation, Translate. One provides end-to-end language and localisation services, including translation, localisation, interpretation, multilingual content management, testing, quality assurance, regulatory support, and consulting services. Through its technology platform and a global network of experts, its team helps organisations streamline multilingual content operations and engage audiences worldwide. “Our vision is to be the global partner of choice for organisations navigating the complexities of international communication,” said Soraya, “empowering them with innovative, adaptable, and comprehensive language solutions that remove barriers and create meaningful connections across languages and cultures.” In alignment with this vision, Translate.One has grown significantly through acquisition. Today, the company operates across 13 countries: the US, the UK, Spain, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Germany, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador. Each acquisition presented Translate.One with an entity possessing its own processes, Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Translate.One offers innovative language and technology solutions for corporations worldwide, empowering them for success with high-quality translation and localisation solutions. At its helm is Soraya Barrera Coello, Vice President of Translate.One and a deserving recipient in the Business Leader Awards 2026. Following her recent recognition, Soraya told us more about her journey to success below.
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