Cesco Linguistic Services was founded on August 22, 2004. Our passion is to facilitate Human-to-Human understanding in meaningful and rewarding ways through the power of language.
We excel at providing expert & timely customized language solutions for organizations of all sizes.
The name Cesco (pronounced “Chesco”) comes from the founder’s firstborn son Francesco, whose birth coincided with the year the company was founded.
Copyright © 2024 Cesco Linguistic Services, All Rights Reserved
For over 25 years, Giovanna has been a noteworthy leader in the language industry space. You may know her from her work as the Founder and CEO at Cesco Linguistic Services, but Giovanna is also a published language industry author, trainer, and speaker.
She is a member of the ASTM Committee F43 on Language Services and Products and Chief of US Delegation for the ISO/TC 37/SC 5 for translation, interpreting, and related technology standards. She is a national and international language industry expert.
Giovanna was honored with the 2020 Bill Daniels Ethical Leader of the Year Award for her unwavering commitment to principle-based ethics in business despite and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic to promote language access for Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals.
In addition to her role as Cesco’s Founder and CEO, Giovanna serves as Colorado’s Honorary Consul to Italy. Giovanna acts as an intermediary between Colorado’s Italian residents and the Italian Consulate General in Chicago, Illinois. She is Colorado’s reference point for Italian nationals in Colorado and assists local Colorado students seeking Italian Visas. Lastly, in this role, Giovanna acts as a diplomatic liaison for Italian delegations visiting Colorado.
She holds a BA from the Istituto Universitario Orientale, Naples, Italy. She is a graduate of the School of Translation and Interpretation in Geneva, Switzerland; she speaks English, Italian, French and Spanish. She held positions in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Lastly and most importantly, Giovanna lives life with core values rooted in her Christian faith, her sense of honesty, loyalty, and fairness, and her family’s importance in her life. Giovanna and her husband, Joél, have two biological teenage sons. They also have three daughters who Giovanna and Joél sponsored and welcomed into their family from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Fun fact:
Giovanna has married the same man (Joél) 3 times without ever divorcing. Ask her how :-)
Favorite food:
Givanna loves Mozzarella cheese. But not just any Mozzarella. It’s the mozzarella made from the buffalo cow in the Naples area and Campania region of Italy.
Location:
Denver, Colorado
Steve has been working in the language services industry since 1987, having started as a freelance translator and project manager and subsequently holding senior management positions with language services providers in the US, Ireland, and Spain.
This background has given him a deep and thorough understanding of all aspects of the translation and interpreting project life cycles, as well as of the business imperatives driving client language services requirements. In addition, from 1998 to 2011 Steve served as chairman of the ASTM subcommittee responsible for developing and publishing ASTM F2575 Standard Guide for Quality Assurance in Translation, the first standard of its kind in the United States. He currently serves as the technical contact for the update.
He teaches in the University of Maryland’s Graduate Studies in Interpreting and Translation program and earned an MA in Spanish Translation and Interpreting from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.
Throughout his career, Steve has always been a strong advocate for the profession and for bringing new practitioners into the industry. To this end, Steve often speaks to student groups about careers in language services, mentors translators who are starting out. He works on language industry initiatives, both in Europe and the US, to reach out to academic institutions to advocate for the type and level of language, translation, and interpreting training that is required to better prepare students to succeed in the market.
Location:
Washington, D.C. USA
Joél Contreras has led an impressive career as an Entrepreneur, Information Technology Executive, and Digital Marketing Executive. He was one of 3 IT leaders that led the expansion of financial giant TIAA from New York City to Denver, Colorado.
As Cesco Linguistic Services co-founder, he serves as Chief Marketing and Chief Technology Officer. Through his commitment to these roles, he has helped launch and grow Cesco Linguistic Services into a leader in the linguistic services industry.
Joél has a passion for serving others. And in particular, Joél loves to serve and advocate for the disenfranchised in our society. He has volunteered and served on the board of directors of several Colorado-based non-profit organizations.
Joél is God-loving and God-fearing man whose values are deeply rooted in his Christian faith.
He holds an Information Systems BA degree from The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota, and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.
Joél and his wife Giovanna are parents to two teenage sons. They also have three daughters who Giovanna and Joél sponsored and welcomed into their family from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Fun-fact:
Joél considers himself the biggest Muhammad Ali fan in the “whole wide world.” Anyone who knows this about Joél, knows that he’s watched every film and video clip produced about the Greatest Of All Time. He met the champ as a young man growing up in New York City.
Favorite food:
Joél loves all types of food. His favorite is Sushi.
Location:
Denver, Colorado
After earning his BA in Legal Translation, Martín Ariano moved to Spain to pursue a Master’s degree in Translation & Localization Technologies as well as a Master’s degree in Healthcare translation.
With over a decade’s experience as an in-house and freelance translator, he’s been working for Cesco as a Project Manager for several years now.
He’s enthusiastic about translation technology tools, Machine Translation, and the US Hispanic translation market.
Fun fact:
In his spare time, he enjoys playing the alto saxophone and going to concerts and the theater.
Favorite food:
Thai food.
Location:
Madrid, Spain
A trained conference interpreter, Certified Healthcare Interpreter, interpreter trainer, translator, language access consultant, and member of the Cesco family, Gabriela Siebach is known for wearing many hats.
From coordinating seamless multilingual events to serving as lead conference interpreter for large virtual events, she can be credited with customizing interpreting solutions to make hosting multilingual events easy and simple in her time as Cesco’s dedicated Director of Interpreting Services.
She is a proud alum of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, where she received a Master of Arts in Translation and Interpretation. She loves to contribute to the translation and interpreting profession.
She spends a lot of time volunteering on the Policy, Education, and Research Committee of the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care, the Job Task Analysis Committee of the American Association of Interpreters and Translations in Education, and contributing to initiatives as a member of the American Translators Association and ASTM.
Fun fact:
Gabriela likes to garden and would love to have a few egg-laying hens and maybe some pigs or goats, but loves the convenience of residential zoned homes.
Favorite food:
Gabriela likes most food, but has always loved Sopes a Mexican dish that has a corn flour (Masa) base with lifted edges that is fried and filled with refried pinto beans, a meat of choice—She likes beef or chicken Tinga— queso fresco or cotija, lettuce, tomatoes, a nice spicy salsa, and maybe slides radishes.
Location:
Fayetteville, NC | USA
Camila is our Senior Interpreting Services Coordinator at Cesco Linguistic Services. She has worked in the language services industry for three years, gaining experience in project management, quality assurance, technological tools, and client support.
Camila’s passion for languages started in the 7th grade when she was placed into French class (the Spanish classes were full). She discovered an affinity for the language, which led her to a study abroad semester in Paris, a B.A. in French, a teaching assistant job in Annemasse, France, and ultimately a master’s degree in Translation and Localization Management, with a focus on French translation.
It was during her master’s program that she was exposed to the many opportunities that the wonderful, wide world of the language services industry has to offer.
Fun fact:
In her spare time, Camila reads, plays video games, and teaches tricks to her dog, Aspen.
Favorite food:
She also enjoys cooking (and eating) all sorts of vegetarian dishes; her favorite cuisine is Indian food, followed closely by Mexican and Thai.
Location:
Denver, Colorado
Gwendolyn Hake, one of Cesco’s Interpreting Services Coordinators, is a professional with a bachelor’s degree from MSU Denver, enriched by a study abroad experience in Oaxaca, Mexico. Her love for languages sparked during her high school years and has propelled her into a budding career in the language services industry.
Gwendolyn brings with her a fresh perspective and a diverse skill set encompassing scheduling, coordination, and a strong focus on customer service, with an appreciation for interpreting and translating. She is distinguished not only by her capability but also by her authentic passion for fostering communication and understanding across linguistic barriers.
Originating from the heart of Central Illinois, Gwendolyn now calls Colorado home. When she’s not working you can find her taking a nap or a nice walk.
Fun Fact:
Her first concert was the Cheetah Girls in 2007.
Favorite Food:
Anything fried or anything Mexican.
Location:
Denver, Colorado
An industry veteran, Pinay has been working in the language business for over 30 years. She is a Philippine Studies graduate and started as a Tagalog translator in the industry. She subsequently moved to project management, where she has proven to be a resourceful leader and mentor, having the natural flair for combining problem-solving with creativity and communication while driving project-wide efficiencies through dissecting complex issues and crafting effective, often-times iterative solutions that directly impact the bottom-line.
Pinay’s demonstrated project management experience has provided her with extensive exposure across different industries and has developed a broad mindset resulting from working collaboratively with cross-functional teams, stakeholders, and senior leadership of varied business organizations.
Fun fact:
Pinay’s love for cooking definitely knows no bounds as she would drive to Ontario (from Chicago) just to have good Chinese food. She used to be a Theater major, too.
Favorite food:
She hands-down loves (cooking & eating) Filipino food but holds uni, oysters, and anchovies very dear to her heart.
Location:
Chicago, IL, USA
Pierina has been working in the translation and localization industry for more than 10 years. She graduated as a professional English-Spanish translator in Córdoba, Argentina, and started her career in this amazing industry working as a Translator, Editor, Proofreader, and Language Lead. Then, she moved to other roles within the industry, like Project Manager, Vendor Manager and Quality Manager. Having a varied experience wearing different hats and being part of different sized companies, Pierina gained a complete insight into how the industry works from different perspectives. After exploring all those roles, she decided to stay with project management because she considers it to be a constant challenge and learning opportunity. She thinks that as a PM you never get two days to be the same, and she loves that. She sees a normal working day as a big puzzle she must put together to make projects run smoothly and ensure good results for our clients.
Fun fact:
She considered herself to be a dog person until she fostered an abandoned and seriously sick kitten. She thought “when she is healthy and ready, I’m going to find a family for her”. Today, nine years later, she has adopted seven homeless cats already. In fact, she is now thinking she is missing a totally white cat, so who knows what the future will bring? She now considers herself to be an animal lover, and not a dog or cat person anymore. Pierina is also mother to two beautiful girls, Brunella and Bianca (and with regards to that, she thinks that two is more than enough haha). She has a big and diverse family she loves very much.
Favorite food:
French fries
Location:
Córdoba, Argentina
Imma joined Cesco over ten years ago as a Data Entry Specialist and as her position evolved, she is today part of our Accounting team.
She has always been fascinated by the scientific study of the mind and human behavior. She earned a degree in Psychology at the University of Psychology La Sapienza in Rome, Italy.
Imma has worked as a psychologist, volunteered with the HD Italian Association, contributed to several articles on HD.
Today, Imma finds that working with numbers keeps her grounded and finds the accounting challenges very intriguing.
In her spare time, Imma likes walking, spending time with family, and cooking.
Fun fact:
If you know anything about Italian pastries, she is the best at making the famous Italian dessert baba, among many other Italian dishes.
Favorite food:
Pasta all the way!
Location:
Rome, Italy
Maximiliano “Maxi” Granchelli has over 2 years of experience in language services. He started his career as a Junior Translation Project manager for several accounts and clients with different levels of complexity. Maxi has a strong background in excellent customer service that started with his sales role in a contact center serving an international client base.
Maxi’s passion for languages started when he mistakenly changed the Language settings on his VHS and watched The Lion King in English as an 8-year-old native Spanish speaker with no knowledge of the language whatsoever. Later, he had an opportunity to immerse himself in the US culture as an Exchange Student living in Cape Cod Massachusetts, where he also completed a short training in Medical Interpreting at Cape Cod Community College.
Maxi is currently a Translation Major at the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba in Argentina as he serves as Cesco’s very own Talent Engagement Coordinator.
Fun fact
I am and will always be a Disney adult
Location
Argentina
Muhammad has established a dynamic career as a Content Manager, Marketing Executive, and Entrepreneur. Currently spearheading content initiatives at Cesco Linguistic Services, Muhammad brings a wealth of experience from previous roles as Chief Marketing Officer at Beyunal and Quality Assurance Executive at Careem, a renowned ride-hailing app.
A proud alumnus of IBA, Pakistan’s premier business school, Muhammad earned an MBA in Marketing. During this period, Muhammad demonstrated exceptional leadership, serving as President of the Law Society and Parliamentary Students’ Society, and Governor of the National Youth Assembly of Pakistan’s Punjab chapter.
Muhammad’s expertise as a content writer is marked by the ability to craft engaging, value-driven content that resonates with diverse audiences.
As someone who always sees life’s brighter side, Muhammad believes in the power of smiles to make the world a better place.
Fun Fact
A fun fact about Muhammad is his enthusiasm for the art of strategic thinking, evident in a keen interest in chess and an admiration for Yuval Noah Harari’s thought-provoking series, ‘Sapiens’.
Favorite Food
Muhammad loves “Chapli Kebab”, a culinary delight from Muhammad’s hometown of Mardan.
Location
Islamabad, Pakistan
Mubashar joined our team as an SEO Specialist in 2021.
He graduated from the University of Global Institute. He is multi-talented and loves to work on different and challenging assignments.
Mubashar has 10+ years of experience in SEO, social media, paid ads, design, and other marketing domains, but his core expertise is technical SEO.
He is firmly grounded in his core values of honesty, accountability, and drive.
Mubashar’s role as an SEO expert at Cesco is essential to the company’s organic search growth goals.
As per Mubashar, he feels blessed to be working with Cesco Linguistic Services, especially under Joél’s leadership, because he’s getting the much-needed mentorship and a lot of learnings from Joél’s digital marketing experiences and management style.
Fun fact:
Mubashar loves traveling, especially the mountain areas where he can go hiking and explore undisturbed nature. He also plays table tennis, foosball, and cricket, but he’s not a pro in any of these games. 😉
Favorite food:
His favorite food is Biryani. He LOVES mangos.
Location:
Lahore, Pakistan
Manoj, a dedicated professional with over a decade of experience in writing proposals for Language Services, proudly serves as the Bid Coordinator at Cesco Linguistic Services. He earned his honors degree from the University of Peradeniya.
Manoj’s journey into proposal writing commenced during his university years, igniting a passion for crafting compelling narratives within the realm of written communication. His proficiency covers proposal writing, bid management, quality assurance, utilization of technological tools, and providing exceptional client support in the field of proposal development and bidding.
Fun Fact:
Outside the professional realm, Manoj finds joy in traveling with his wife, exploring the beauty of his home country – Sri Lanka and venturing abroad. He really loves movies and enjoys getting into interesting stories on the screen.
Favorite Food:
While Manoj appreciates a variety of culinary delights, he holds a particular fondness for the rich and diverse tastes of Sri Lankan & Indian cuisine.
Location:
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Hailing from the cleanest city in India, Rashi Gupta has embarked on a quest to rejuvenate Cesco’s digital footprint across various social media platforms. Armed with a Master’s in Marketing Management and 5+ years of marketing experience, she’s set on making Cesco a standout in the language industry’s social media landscape.
Rashi‘s professional habitat is one of constant movement and innovation. Her work is fueled by a genuine commitment to honesty, making her a trustworthy asset at Cesco Linguistic Services.
Rashi feels blessed under Joél’s leadership, soaking up much-needed mentorship, ample opportunities, and many learnings.
Fun Fact:
Rashi is a passionate nature and travel enthusiast with a beach heart and a newfound love for mountains. She dives into the aquatic world, adores swimming and snorkeling, and aces table tennis and badminton on land. She finds her inner balance through daily yoga.
Favorite food:
As a vegetarian, Rashi indulges in the goodness of Italian, Mexican, Lebanese, and Indian cuisines, with a special love for fruits.
Location:
Mumbai, India
Moises Blandon began his Virtual Assistant career in Real Estate, starting as a Phone Prospector and advancing to acquisitions. Intense training in The Unique G.U.T.S. Sales Training Method by Claude Diamond opened numerous doors.
During my VA career, I became a Certified Debt Collector, obtaining FDCPA and HIPPA certifications. In 2022, I joined the Cesco Linguistic Team as a Business Development Agent, improving my marketing skills. Currently pursuing a Digital Marketing Certificate, I aim to enhance my expertise further.
My diverse experiences have honed sales, compliance, and marketing skills. I’m committed to leveraging this expertise to contribute to team success.
Fun Fact:
I’ve been studying astronomy for over a decade and relish every new discovery about space. A huge fan of Elon Musk, I’m inspired by his pioneering efforts in space exploration. These passions create a vibrant tapestry that defines my diverse interests and personality.
Favorite Food:
One fascinating aspect about me is my love for Nicaraguan cuisine, especially traditional dishes like Gallo Pinto and Nacatamal.
Location:
Managua, Nicaragua
Keith joins Cesco-LS with over 6 years of experience in enterprise sales and marketing, and believes his educational background and interpersonal relationships have played equally huge roles in his success.
His BA in Psychology provided unique insights to consumer behavior and improved his communication skills. His MBA in Marketing provided him with a textbook understanding of markets, pricing models, strategic marketing tactics, consumer analysis, and best practices to help the companies he partners with to find continued success. However, his best education probably came from working in the trenches alongside some of the most talented leaders in the space. His professional mentors have taught him to: (1) Be on time, (2) Pay attention, (3) Take ownership, and (4) To be yourself (Authenticity matters).
He is excited to be back in the Translation & Localization industry because he loves to meet new people, try new foods, and learn about their culture.
Fun Fact
Keith is constantly reading books on personal development & leadership, so that he can be a better father, husband, and professional. He’s horrible at golf but loves it, and he used to play guitar for a pop band (decades ago). .
Favorite Food
Carne asada burritos, carnitas tacos, and sushi… but he is currently on a mission to find the best cheeseburger in Southern California.
Location
Los Angeles, California | USA
Farha Abidi joined Cesco Linguistic Services in 2008 as a Senior Programmer. She is the one responsible to keep our websites running.
Prior to Cesco Linguistic Services, she was working as Software Engineer at Elite Technologies Pvt Ltd, India and also as a freelancer. During her years working in the previous company and as a freelancer she helped develop static websites, E-commerce sites and software applications for government offices.
She is a post-graduate in statistics from prestigious Lucknow University, India. Along the way she fell in love with programming and switched fields to computers. She did her masters in computer application through virtual learning while working.
When she is not keeping busy with her job, you can find her cooking, baking or learning new skills.
Location:
Lucknow, India
Kaustuva works as Cesco’s Senior Server Administrator with a focus on Linux administration.
After earning his Master’s degree in Computer science from BPUT, Odisha in India, Kaustuva began working as a Junior system administrator to explore his passion for Linux, system management, security-related services.
His varied roles at Cesco Linguistic Services center around server set-up, system maintenance, security, and performance-related issues.
His expertise in cloud server/services management, system troubleshooting, security, and DevOps-related help Cesco provide top-of-the-line service to our associates as well as our clients.
Location
Bhubaneswar, India
Doug has over 10 years’ experience helping customers find the right language solutions for their global growth. He has worked with some of the largest and fastest growing companies in the world including Amazon/AWS, Sony, and ServiceNow.
Doug was raised with an appreciation for our global community. His mother was born in Sweden, and she instilled a great wanderlust for global adventure from age 2. Doug stays in close touch with his Swedish family by going back to the family’s farm every few years for a family reunion.
Doug believes wholeheartedly in Cesco’s Core Values and Mission.
Commitment
Accountability
Service to Others
Integrity
Innovation
Mission
To deliver expert & timely customized language solutions for organizations of all sizes.
Fun Fact
Doug was born a Ramblin’ Man. Doug will travel the globe looking for the perfect beach and/or restaurant. He may have found both while visiting Rio de Janeiro during Carnival.
Favorite Food
Doug loves Italian food; he goes Garfiield for lasagna with homemade pasta and sauce.
Location
Houston, Texas | USA
