Victoria Nicol hopes award will inspire future business leaders
Victoria Nicol (pictured above), founder of the language translation agency My Language Connection (MLC), is hoping to inspire business leaders of the future after being voted Entrepreneur of the Year.
The 33-year-old picked up the prestigious honour at the recent Glasgow Business Awards (GBAs) to cap a notable personal double having been awarded as the GBAs’ Young Business Person of the Year 2023.
It’s been a memorable 12 months for the successful businesswoman, with Glasgow-based MLC having grown by 22% in that time as it developed their own in-house technology called the Translation Management System to enhance the process of medical translation projects.
The new platform improves efficiency and transparency while significantly reducing the turnaround time of projects and key clients including Dexcom and Rocket Medical have all enjoyed significant growth since partnering with the agency.
Having set up the company seven years ago after the translation agency she was working for in Edinburgh was liquidated; Victoria has grown MLC into a globally-recognised language services provider.
With offices also in London and Dubai, MLC works with a network of over 1,800 trusted linguists worldwide to provide medical, marketing, technical, and certified translations, interpretation and multi-lingual multi-media projects across over 250 languages.
While the journey has not been without its difficulties, perseverance has paid off and Victoria hopes her recent honour will send a message of hope to other budding entrepreneurs.
She said: “As I reflect on winning both Young Business Person of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year within the past 12 months, I’m overwhelmed with pride and gratitude for my team and my clients in what has been achieved,” she said.
The period of growth we have experienced as we grew our key client relationships and new client relationships in the medical industry has been transformational for MLC and for our clients. I hope these achievements inspire other entrepreneurs to keep pushing through their own growth phases because although it is tough, it is so worthwhile for you, your team and your clients.”
She added: “Scotland has produced so many successful business leaders and I want that trend to continue. Although there will be bumps in the road, it is important for them to keep focused and keep believing in their vision.”
Staged in conjunction with the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and the University of Strathclyde, the GBAs also saw the company nominated as Best Performing Small to Medium-Sized Business. MLC was also shortlisted for the New Member of the Year 2024 Award at the Association of Translation Companies Language Industry Awards.
“To see our hard work acknowledged is a reminder we are making a positive difference within the industry for our clients and creating new opportunities for our team,” added Victoria.
“This is a tribute to our dedication and hard work in providing exceptional service. These personal accolades, along with our company’s recognition, are a testament not only to my own journey but to our incredible team, clients, and friends who have supported us along the way.”
