How long have you been with Scribendi and what are your primary responsibilities at the company?

I joined Edanz in 2009 and was Chief Commercial Officer at the time of acquiring Scribendi; now, I lead the executive and leadership team groups across our operations and businesses in Japan, Canada, and China.

My primary responsibility is the effective leadership of what is, luckily, a superb group of people at Scribendi and Edanz. In terms of practical activities, this means corporate and fiscal responsibility for both top line revenue and  profitability and interacting with our parent organization, M3, but it also means setting the agenda for commercial and organization activities. Given we are in a changeable time in our industry, it means developing and sharing the vision for the company, working with leadership colleagues to devise the strategies to achieve it, and, enjoyably, working with colleagues from all of our different teams and locations to constantly understand the business better and identify opportunities for growth.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your path to Scribendi?

I joined Scribendi through Edanz's acquisition. However, I have been in the same industry for nearly 20 years. At university, I was a linguist, albeit in ancient languages (Egyptian, Hieratic, and Coptic), so I have always felt a close affinity to the language industry.

When you sign off from work for the day, what are you passionate about?

My wife and I have 2 kids under 10 (Hugo, 8, and Emelia, 6), so weekends are full of bikes, parks, hiking (sometimes homework ...), and if we are lucky Japanese hot spas; for me personally, in my spare time, I'm a watchmaker!

Can you offer a few words for Scribendi’s editors?

The consistently high editorial standard of Scribendi's editors underpins our company performance, drives client referrals, and inspires testimonials – I am grateful for everyone's efforts. Thanks to those of you who have reached out and connected on Linkedin ((5) Tom da Costa | LinkedIn) – I appreciate the opportunity to learn more about you and your capabilities. And, of course, if any of you have ideas, feedback, or insights that can might help our business, please get in touch!

How long have you been with Scribendi and what are your responsibilities at the company?

I’ve been with Scribendi for over 15 years. Currently, I’m responsible for the HR and freelance functions and for operations at Scribendi, which includes the editorial/quality and customer service functions. I work closely with other members of the management team to ensure that we are all pulling in the same direction!

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your path to Scribendi?

I’m originally from the US and did my undergraduate degree there in psychology/biology. Afterward, I spent five years teaching in Japan and Thailand. When I moved to Canada in 2007, I joined Scribendi as one of the first in-house editors! Over the years, I have worked in editorial, training, and quality before assuming responsibility for the HR and freelance functions about ten years ago, at which point I went back for my HR certificate and earned my CHRP and CHRL designations. Since then, I’ve been primarily responsible for HR and operations. Due to my path through various positions, I have an understanding and appreciation for many of the different functions within Scribendi, and this helps to inform my perspective and decision-making.

When you sign off from work for the day, what are you passionate about?

I’m currently pursuing my masters degree in HR, which takes up a lot of my non-work time. Reading and writing about important areas in HR, including new research, is energizing for me, and it’s exciting to think about and incorporate these new ideas into Scribendi.

Outside of this, I have two sons, 12 and 14, and I love travelling and exploring new places with my family, especially in the outdoors. I also love reading literary fiction, listening to podcasts, and just thinking about new ideas. I’m an active person and make time in my life for fitness, especially yoga, weightlifting, and hiking.

Can you offer a few words for Scribendi’s editors?

Keep up the great work! I really appreciate the meticulous and thoughtful work you do to help our authors communicate their ideas more clearly, whether it’s revising an academic article, tightening up a corporate communication, or critiquing the structure of a science fiction novel. This is important work that matters and makes a difference to Scribendi’s authors. The quality work you do is why they keep coming back. Also, over the years, your suggestions and feedback have been invaluable for improving Scribendi. Please participate in our yearly freelancer survey, and feel free to reach out to me or our team at any time if you have feedback for us.

How long have you been with Scribendi and what are your primary responsibilities at the company?

I have been with Scribendi since October, 2012. I started as a software developer, but I am now in charge of everything related to IT,  AI, and software engineering.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your path to Scribendi?

I started coding and building websites in1995 during the internet’s infancy. I evolved with the internet and learned new skills as new technologies were being released.  After college, I freelanced as a software engineer for approx. 5 years before being recruited by Scribendi.

When you sign off from work for the day, what are you passionate about?

I have many hobbies. I would say I am the most passionate about health and fitness. I generally exercise at least 4 or 5 times per week. I also enjoy anything outdoors, such as fishing, golfing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Can you offer a few words for Scribendi’s editors?

We are always quite busy in IT and software engineering, but we very much appreciate your feedback, ideas, and suggestions for our platforms and tools. I have an open-door policy, so please feel free to email me anytime with any feedback, ideas, or suggested improvements that you may have.

How long have you been with Scribendi and what are your primary responsibilities at the company?

I’ve been at Scribendi since January of 2011 (first as an In-house Editor, followed by a role as Senior Editor and then Editorial Quality Manager before settling into my current position as Senior Manager), and my primary responsibilities include overseeing our freelance editors, internal communications, editorial policy and process, editorial resources, service design and implementation, operational support for Customer Service, ISO auditing, and the oversight and development of our quality assurance system.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your path to Scribendi?

Before Scribendi, I previously worked as a teacher before opening and running my own bookstore (Inklings Bookshop Inc.) for many years, though I also had an odd, brief spell working at a carrot factory (yes, a carrot factory). Throughout everything, however, I’ve been an editor, starting with freelance work for fellow students as when I was an undergraduate at the University of Windsor (majoring in English Literature and Creative Writing) and then continuing with formal roles as an academic grader and writing tutor and as an editor of a literary journal (while getting my MA in English and Creative Writing and a BEd in education). I then worked part-time as a freelance editor specializing in fiction (which worked rather nicely alongside running a bookstore).

When you sign off from work for the day, what are you passionate about?

Out in the real world, I spend what free time I have watching films, reading and writing fiction (and occasionally cartooning), and walking the country roads where I live (just outside Windsor, Ontario), though most of my time is spent chasing my pack of children. Five kids constitutes a pack in my book, especially since they all howl at the moon. Luckily, the postman is safe from being bitten, as my wife happens to be our postal carrier. The pack will chase an occasional cyclist or jogger, of course, but I just chalk that up as a public service to provide good exercise motivation for our neighbors. We also have three cats serving as junior members of the pack (and the least feral).

Can you offer a few words for Scribendi’s editors?

One of my great joys in life has been the chance to get to work closely with so many brilliant editors, both in-house and freelance, over the years. And it’s not just the shared love of language and the written word, as I’ve never met another group of people who care so much about doing great work. A million times over, I’d prefer dealing with the anxiety of dedicated perfectionists than the apathy and disregard that seems so prominent in other industries. It’s an honor to work beside so many who care so deeply about what they do, not because they have to but simply because it is who they are as people. I believe deeply in the benefits of high standards and high expectations, but these never matter if you don’t have editors who can rise to meet them. At Scribendi, we’ve always had editors who can fly, no matter how high we set the bar.

If you wish to discuss your work or anything else at Scribendi, feel free to contact me at any time: manager@scribendi.com.