Kirti Vashee, VP of Sales and Marketing, directs worldwide marketing and sales strategy for Language Weaver. Vashee has more than 25 years experience in successful enterprise software marketing and product development, including significant background with small entrepreneurial as well as larger technology companies such as EMC, Dow Jones and Legato. He has extensive worldwide reseller channel building experience and excellent knowledge of the knowledge management and translation industries. An accomplished speaker who has addressed audiences all over the world, Vashee conducted his undergraduate work in international economics and finance at Bombay University, India and received his MBA from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.

GALA is in a unique position to become a thought leader in the industry; its broad-based membership roster encompasses all types of companies working in internationalization, localization, translation, and globalization. I believe that my broad-based experience in directing worldwide marketing and sales strategy for Language Weaver and my expansive background in enterprise software will serve GALA well in its quest to grow and attain international status as the association that innovative companies in these industries should join.

GALA's goals to increase industry knowledge, foster innovation, and promote collaborative efforts are appealing to me as well. GALA has the opportunity to evolve as an organization that companies can turn to for informative, unbiased information so they can effectively weigh their options and compare. We can educate the market so that companies know the right questions to ask when they go to buy translation services and technologies, and aid them in choosing the right solution the first time.

Through our goal to promote collaboration, we will empower our own members to seek out new ways of looking at each other and working together. We will empower the industry to support strategies that bring the world together through new technologies, cross-promotion and alliances. Our ability to educate people in other industries to understand the benefits of translation, localization and globalization can have a positive impact on communications of all types. Confident, informed buyers will drive additional translation business.

As a GALA board member, I would work to help establish GALA as the true thought leader in the industry - the organization that everyone turns to for unbiased, educated information. I would support GALA to motivate the players in our industries to try new things, fostering both innovation and collaboration. My knowledge gained from assisting companies in organizational growth will support the infrastructure of the association as it expands and my experience of dealing with the press will support reputation management.

I would welcome the opportunity to become a member of the board, for the two-year term, and look forward to the continued progress of the organization as a strong promoter of localization, translation and globalization services and products.