Lei’s Story: From ‘Just a Job’ to Love and Leadership

Lei Meng shares her 19-year journey from accepting her first job at Interpro to becoming a leader in localization. What began as “just a job” evolved into a career filled with mentorship, innovation, and purpose. Her story is part of Interpro Celebrates 30 Years in Business celebration and reflects the passion and people that continue to define the company’s legacy.

An English Major Turned Localization Leader

When I first started my career, I never imagined I’d end up in the localization industry. My journey began at Beijing Aeronautics and Astronautics University, where I majored in English. Yes, English, at an aeronautics university! (You can probably guess what I originally wanted to study 😊.) But life had other plans for me, obviously. After graduating, I pursued a Master’s in Technical Communication at Texas Tech University, where I developed a deep interest in crafting technical content and making complex information easy to understand.

But how did I actually land in localization? Simple! I took the only job offer I had! I still remember my first interview at Interpro like it was yesterday. Back then, our Lombard office had high-walled cubicles (very different from today’s open space concept). I showed up in my only all-black suit, because that’s what you do when you want to look extra professional, right? And I went through what felt like a very long interview with Ralph, Yuko, and Larry. The conversations were insightful, and when I got the offer, I was excited. 

I had no idea this was the beginning of what would become a long and fulfilling 19-year (and counting) journey managing translations with Interpro!

My First Days at Interpro: Learning, Mentorship, and Transformation

My early days at Interpro were filled with learning. I was lucky to have an incredible mentor in my career, Yuko-san, who taught me everything about project management. I also learned a lot from Ralph, especially how to engage clients and resolve problems with integrity and care. 

Back then, project management looked very different. We created job orders in Excel and manually entered word counts (yes, manually!). Every job placement email was typed from scratch, and tracking projects required laser-focused attention to detail. We even printed out all the paperwork and stored it neatly in physical folders. It’s hard to imagine that now.

At first, localization was just a job to me. Something I knew how to do but wasn’t deeply passionate about. But that changed when we helped Armstrong International deliver their first Articulate Engage courses with a turnkey solution. That project kickstarted Interpro’s formal eLearning process and in the meanwhile, unexpectedly sparked my love for localization.

Celebrating a successful localization strategy session with the team at Armstrong China

At the time, eLearning was booming, but there was no standard process for localizing eLearning courses. Seeing our team help Armstrong evolve from 0 to 1 in eLearning localization was incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. 

Even now, when people ask me what sets Interpro different, my immediate response is pride in our competent team. Our team is not just skilled at improving solutions from 1 to 100 with established processes, we excel at helping clients take that crucial first step from 0 to 1. We have countless examples of creating tailored localization solutions to meet our clients’ unique needs. For me, this sense of growth and achievement has been a driving force behind my growing passion for the localization field.

Meet the team behind Interpro’s professional translation services. 

The Moment It Became More Than Just a Job

In just a couple of years, Armstrong University was filled with localized courses, helping hundreds of workers who don’t speak English stay safe and follow procedures. 

That’s when it hit me: localization isn’t just about translating words, it’s about making knowledge accessible to the world. That moment made me truly understand the impact of our work and gave my job a deeper sense of meaning.

I’ve learned so much just by being immersed in the wide range of industries our clients represent. One day, I might be working on a project about nutrition, and the next, something about mindfulness. It feels like I am constantly learning something just through the work we do, deepening my appreciation for the field of localization.

Lei Meng leading a hybrid educational consultation for a client at Interpro’s headquarters.

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Over the years, I’ve grown from Project Manager to Director of Project Management, built a dedicated Simplified Chinese localization team, and led hundreds of projects across industries. Of course, no 19-year journey is without its challenges. There have been stressful deadlines, moments of pressure, and the occasional passionate debate. But just like a family, we work through it all with trust, respect, and a shared commitment to excellence. 

Looking back, what started as just a job has evolved into a lifelong career, one I’ve been lucky to build alongside an incredible team. The best part of this journey has been the people I’ve worked with and the challenges we’ve tackled together. It’s been an amazing 19 years, and I’m proud to celebrate Interpro’s 30th birthday. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!

 Interpro Team Left to Right – Lei Meng, Director of Project Management and Valerie Lagueux, Project Manager

See More Behind-the-Scenes Stories from Interpro

Discover more stories like Lei’s as we look back over Interpro’s history supporting translation goals around the world. 

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