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[Latest update: February 9, 2026]
Irene Arto Escuredo holds a bachelor’s degree in Translation and Interpreting from the University of Salamanca. She later completed a master’s degree in Institutional Translation at the University of Alicante, as well as a master’s degree in Teacher Training at the University of Santiago de Compostela. Her professional background is strongly rooted in terminology work and institutional communication. She carried out terminology traineeships at Termcat (Barcelona) and at TermCoord, the Terminology Coordination Unit of the European Parliament (Luxembourg). Additionally, she completed an on-site interpreting traineeship at the UNOG, as well as an online translation traineeship for the UN. Before joining the EU institutions as a contract agent, she worked as a freelancer in Spain. Since 2024, she has worked as a Spanish translator and part-time terminologist at the European Commission, in Brussels.
Anne Deforge has a Translator’s Degree from the Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris III, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Translation (DESS) in Economic, Technical and Editorial Translation. Her career began at the World Customs Organization in Brussels (1998-2001), followed by positions at the International Court of Justice in The Hague (2002-2003) and the International Maritime Organization in London (2003-2004). In 2004, after successfully passing an EU competition, she embarked on her career with the Council of the European Union. Since 2010, she has been working at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation (DGT), where she serves as both a translator and reviser, engaging closely with the complexities of institutional communication. She is the coordinator of the French language translation team dedicated to the Commission’s Legal Service. She is fluent in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Hungarian and Estonian. With over two decades of experience in legal translation within prominent international organizations, she has developed a deep understanding of the complexities involved in multilingual legal communication.
Francis Eke-Metoho is an English interpreter at the ECOWAS Court of Justice. His working languages are English, French and Portuguese. He holds a Master’s degree in Conference Interpreting from the University of Ghana (PAMCIT) and has completed a MicroMasters Certificate in International Law from the Université catholique de Louvain as well as a certificate in Public International Law and Legal Terminology from the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL). He is an alumnus of the Cambridge Conference Interpreting Course and has trained as an Interpreter Trainer at the University of Ghana, where he serves on interpretation exam juries. He is currently the focal point of the court for language procedures and terminology validation, contributing to workflow development, freelance interpreter coordination, and institutional language policy. Before joining the Court in 2023, he worked as a freelance interpreter for ECOWAS, the United Nations, FAO, WHO, the African Union Commission, and the African Court, amongst others. He is a member of AIIC and the current Regional Webmaster for AIIC Africa. He is also interested in the use of AI in language services.
Benjamin Heyden has a MA in Germanic Languages and Literatures (1998) and a MA in Translation Studies (2000) from the University of Liège. He translates and revises from English, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, German and Turkish to French. He started his career as a translator in the French-language Department of the DGT (European Commission) in 2005. He is specialised in legal translation (notably for the Commission’s Legal Service and for DG Justice). He was also a trainer in Clear Writing (in French and in English) for 15 years and worked one year as a full-time terminologist. He is in charge of internal and external communication projects, and acts as a traineeship adviser for his unit. He has edited the French version of the Commission’s Style Guide and drafted the Commission’s first recommendations on inclusive language for French. Before joining the Commission, he was a lecturer in French language in Rome and a lecturer in Legal and Financial translation at the University of Liège. He has published several articles in academic or professional journals.
Iris Holl earned her Law degree from the University of Würzburg, Germany, and she holds a PhD in Translation and Interpreting from the University of Salamanca (USAL). Her academic background also includes a Master’s in Interpreting from the University of Lisbon (Faculty of Letters) and a Master’s in Spanish Law for Foreign Jurists from the University of Salamanca. Since 2010, she has been a lecturer for the Undergraduate Degree in Translation and Interpreting and the Master’s in Translation and Intercultural Mediation at the University of Salamanca. Her research focuses on legal translation and comparative law. She also has extensive experience as a professional translator of legal and financial texts in the following language pairs: ES-DE, DE-ES, PT-DE, and EN-DE.
Ioannis Ikonomou is a translator at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation (DGT) in Brussels, where he has worked since 2005. He previously served as a translator at DGT in Luxembourg (2002–2004) and as an interpreter at the European Commission in Brussels (1995–2002). He holds a B.A. (cum laude) in Greek Language and Literature (Linguistics) from the University of Thessaloniki, an M.A. in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures from Columbia University (Onassis Foundation scholarship), and has pursued doctoral studies in Indo-European Linguistics at Harvard University. He also earned an M.A. in Conference Interpreting at the University of La Laguna (European Parliament scholarship).
Esther Llorente Isidro currently works as a Senior Spanish Translator for the World Trade Organization (WTO), where she has played a key role in developing and implementing an institutional quality assurance policy framework for complex dispute settlement, economic, and technical texts. Her efforts foster innovation in linguistic services through the use of advanced technologies. With over 25 years of experience in institutional translation and linguistic services, she holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Private and Public International Law (UCM). She further developed her legal and economic expertise through rigorous training at the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting, University of Geneva, and The Hague Academy of International Law. Prior to joining the WTO, she worked for several specialized agencies of the United Nations, including FAO, UNEP, UNESCO, and WFP, as well as the European Commission. Fluent in Chinese, English, French, and Italian, she combines linguistic mastery with legal and economic insight. Accredited by ASTTI and AITC, she upholds the highest standards of quality and cultural adaptability.
Beatrice Manigat is a United Nations accredited Freelance Conference Interpreter and Interpreter-Trainer. She is based in Accra, Ghana. She holds a Masters in Conference Interpreting from the University of Ghana (PAMCIT program). Her working languages are French, English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. After working as a freelance interpreter, she served two years (2023-2025) as a staff interpreter at the United Nations Office in Geneva. She is now back in West Africa and has resumed her activity as a Trainer (new Master de Lomé Conference Interpreting training programme in Togo and Conference Interpreter Master’s Programme at the University of Ghana). Before becoming a conference interpreter, she dedicated over 20 years to teaching English in French high schools abroad. She also holds a MPhil (“D.E.A.”) in Anglophone studies, specializing in the civilization and literature of the Black Americas and post Apartheid South Africa (Université Paris 7 and Université de la Réunion).
Signe Rixen Hernanz Last has a Master in Translation and Interpretation from The Aarhus School of Business (now called Aarhus University) in Denmark, and she is a sworn translator and interpreter in the combination Spanish-Danish. She has worked as a translator in the DGT since September 2023. At the DGT she specialises in legal translation and revision. Before joining the DGT she worked as a freelance translator for more than 20 years doing primarily legal translations and interpretation from English/Spanish into Danish.
Claire Gasnault-Vuiart is a member of the IAMLADP Taskforce on PAMCIT and Head of the French Interpretation Section at UNON. After graduating as a conference interpreter from the FTI in Geneva in 2001 and passing the UN competitive examination in 2007, Claire took up her first post in Nairobi in 2009 and then worked successively at UNOG, UNAKRT (Phnom Penh), UNON, and ICAO (Montreal) before returning to Nairobi in September 2023. She has been particularly involved in inter-duty station collaboration and the harmonization of recruitment tests and procedures. Her love of the French language has also led her to organize numerous interpretation training activities, particularly onthe African continent.
To see the biostatements of the participants from the IX Seminar 2023, click here.
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