Breaking down barriers: Elizabeth Compton

It’s rare to meet someone as passionate about their work as Elizabeth Compton, CEO of translation and interpreting service LanguageLoop.

"Every year we help over 500,000 non-English speakers by providing interpreters in settings such as schools, courts, hospitals and by telephone and video. Our 2,500 interpreters and translators give people a voice and allow them to participate in society," says Liz. "It’s an absolute privilege to be in this role and work with such an incredible team to change lives."

Liz has a crystal-clear vision of the company’s mission. "We want to give people the freedom to live life without limits," she says and for her this clarity of purpose is a necessity in business. Liz makes sure to share that commitment with the team behind LanguageLoop. This sense of determination drives services like VideoLoop, Australia’s first mobile app and web-based, on-demand video interpreting service.

"Given Australia’s geography, if we can communicate in 160 languages 24/7 at the touch of a button to people living anywhere in the country, that’s pretty compelling," says Liz. "It’s a great way for us to reach our goal of ensuring that every Australian can thrive, not just those who speak English."

"If we can make 160 languages available at the touch of a button to people living anywhere in the country, that’s pretty compelling."

Since VideoLoop is still very much at the frontline of the industry, it represents a huge leap forward for interpreting services. Liz says this technology is not yet deeply embedded in certain professional settings, but it’s becoming more common, giving VideoLoop a real chance to take off.

"We really wanted to understand how we can make it easier for those groups to access mental health services."

As part of the company’s corporate social responsibility it also invests back into the sector, as demonstrated by a recent partnership with Monash University. LanguageLoop sponsored a study to develop mental health guidelines for interpreters and health professionals working with non-English speakers in mental health settings. Given that 45% of Australians will suffer from mental health issues at some point in their lifetime, and many will likely struggle to access proper care due to language barriers, this kind of endeavour improves interactions in this very challenging environment.

Another nationwide service that is breaking down barriers is LanguageLoop’s exclusive partnership with Australia Post, making its document translation services available across 1,400 post offices around Australia. In a country where 49% of people are born overseas, or have at least one overseas-born parent, and 21% of Australians speak a language other than English, this national reach is crucial.

As innovative as LanguageLoop’s model and technology are, Liz is careful to ensure the company isn’t left behind by other digital disrupters. At the same time, she has good cause to be optimistic – she believes major commercial organisations are increasingly seeing the importance of reaching Australia’s vast multicultural communities.

LanguageLoop is already working with some of the country’s largest blue-chip corporates to deliver language services via contact centre solutions, providing advice and translations for multilingual websites and other digital channels, while also delivering VideoLoop in branches and other customer facing environments. As Australia’s only full service language provider, Liz highlights that "we look holistically at our client’s objectives and how we can help them be inclusive and engage with the full diversity of Australia’s population".

"We’ve got a really clear vision and very progressive Board," Liz says. "We’ve got the right people and the right strategy and we’re delivering on our vision to help people live life without limits."

"We’ve got a really clear vision. We’re successful. We’re delivering. We’ve got the right people. We’ve got the right strategy."