Ivannovation CEO Yuri Ivanov in Upstate Business Journal

Ivannovation began in 1998 as one man with a vision: help people communicate better. Since then, we’ve grown into a translation network of over 400 people with over 100 clients in many regions of the world. We have been proudly helping people efficiently communicate for 20 years, and the Upstate Business Journal sat down with our CEO, Yuri Ivanov, for a Q&A on 20 years in business. In the interview, they cover everything from living in the Soviet Union and being a senior lieutenant in the Russian air force to Yuri’s vision for Ivannovation’s future.

Get the highlights from the interview below and get the full interview with the Upstate Business Journal. (Update: The article, which was at https://upstatebusinessjournal.com/qa-yuri-ivanov-ivannovation-language-management/, is no longer at that location.)

Getting to the Upstate and Developing an Interest in Translation

Ivanov spent five years serving in the Russian air force and traveling all around the world, visiting nearly every country in the world. His time in the air force combined with his college education in Chinese and English languages was the foundation for his interest in language.

“I had majored in Chinese and English. In the early 1990s, I became interested in the products that were showing up. I actually worked on the localization of some early products.”

Once the Soviet Union collapsed, he sought out a better home for his family and ended up in Greenville, SC. After seeing a gap in the translation market, he started Ivannovation.

“I recognized there was a need. There were companies that really didn’t know what to do, how [translation] works, or where to go. So I gathered a few software engineers and a number of very qualified translators and started the company.”

A Love for Learning & Language

Ivannovation offers Ivanov and his team the chance to learn every day. Even though they focus on translation and localization services for three major sectors — automotive manufacturers, engine manufacturers, and software companies — each project is different from the last.

“There is always something new. No matter how many times we have translated in a language, there’s always something new. … So there’s always learning.”

Having successfully translated documents to over 100 different languages, Ivanov views his role as more than just translation, but as a way to help people communicate clearly and efficiently.

“We are very proud to promote connectivity and conversation between different cultures. We help eliminate frustration that comes from communication problems. I meet a lot of people from a lot of different businesses in a lot of different industries. I learn a lot from all of them.”

Learn more about Ivanov and how Ivannovation came to be with the full interview. Wondering how we might be able to help with a project? Contact us.
Photo by Will Crooks / Upstate Business Journal