 Sébastien is a French national, who has been self-employed since September 2010. His company, Freisk!, is based near Athlone, a town located in the heart of Ireland and aims to help individuals and companies expand their activities into the European market via a wide range of technical, administrative and linguistic services.
Sébastien prefers to work with small and medium sized enterprises who want to increase their visibility abroad but who can’t afford the services of large companies who specialise in helping smaller companies in the area of exports. He also works on a regular basis with international agencies at various stages of the export lifecycle. Beyond localisation services, Sébastien also provides customised advice, local market knowledge, and cultural awareness to make companies more visible in other European countries. Services that Sébastien is offering companies encompass: translation, localisation and linguistic services, advertising campaigns, market research and more recently corporate training in French or English about "working and living in Ireland"... [More...]
Sébastien studied Science in France and holds a PhD* in Mechanics & Energetics from the Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine. He also worked for 2 years as a researcher within NUI Galway Chemistry Department, under a Marie Curie EU contract (FP5 scheme), during which he met numerous professionals in the Energy sector. This successful academic experience allows him to have a very good understanding of software, science and technology. Sébastien also holds a certificate in translation (WLS).
Sébastien has over 6 years of varied experience of doing business in international markets, including North and South America, Europe, Asia and Middle East. Before starting his own business, Sébastien worked as a project coordinator in a Cork-based multinational company (McAfee) and then, as a project manager in a Dublin-based company (Eurotext). In these positions, Sébastien was responsible for the delivery of high-quality language solutions to various international and national client accounts, including Seagate (IT), Thermo King (Temperature Control System Manufacturer), Ingersoll Rand (Food Transport), CRH (Building Materials), Irish Department of Justice (Public organisations), etc. Over the years, Sébastien has acquired solid experience in working closely with cross-border and cross-functional teams (Marketing, Sales, Engineering, Customer Service, Distributors).
Apart from his own business endeavour, Sébastien is also Vice-Secretary (and member) of Enterprise Forum, the only network for start-up businesses in the Athlone Area. Enterprise Forum is jointly sponsored by the Athlone Chamber of Commerce and the Athlone Community Taskforce. This experience allows him to meet local business owners on a regular basis, to contribute to the organisation of events and to gain knowledge of and recognition from the local companies. Sébastien was also secretary and is currently PR Officer (and member) of Athlone Toastmasters International, a club which has as its objective helping its members improve their public speaking skills in a friendly atmosphere.
Having lived in Ireland since 2002, Sébastien is fluent in English and French. He has had the opportunity to live in 4 different Irish towns, and he has taken the opportunity of visiting all 32 Irish Counties, which is a considerable asset when meeting new business and personal contacts. As shown on his website (www.freisk.com), Sébastien is also interested in Irish history, society and culture.
*[Download the Thesis (pdf, French version, 10Mb)] |
