Charles Lesperance: Founded in Montreal in 2013, OXO Is a Global Content Partner for Companies That Are Expanding Their Business Beyond Borders

Founded in Montreal in 2013, OXO is a global content partner for companies that are expanding their business beyond borders.

Our team of in-house advisors, project managers, translators, copywriters and localization engineers help our clients deliver a premium customer experience in any language.

Tell us about yourself?

I’m a lawyer by training and a member of the Quebec Bar. I discovered a passion for helping companies go global when I worked in international tax law at KPMG, so in 2013 I decided to co-found OXO Translations (as it was called at the time) with a friend who was a translator.

Now I’m able to channel my passion into helping clients communicate across borders and into expanding OXO’s own frontiers.

I play an important role in decision-making for the company and am responsible for implementing its vision, overseeing operations, managing key accounts and developing new markets.

I led OXO’s 2018 merger with the Brazilian company Ccaps and its 2019 acquisition of Communications Transcript, and I continue to seek opportunities for growth.

I also sit on the board of the Canadian Language Industry Association (CLIA), an organization that promotes the competitiveness of Canadian language service companies.

If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?

I’d remind myself that it’s important to find a balance between seizing opportunities as they arise, and not losing sight of your initial goals.

What problem does your business solve?

We help companies deliver a premium customer experience in any language.

What is the inspiration behind your business?

We want to support clients through every step of their globalization journey, from planning and implementing their strategy to measuring their ROI.

Too many language service providers just focus on transactional translation, but in fact successful localization is about so much more than that.

What is your magic sauce?

Combining the customer-first approach of a boutique agency with the tech and expertise of a big player, OXO offers a scalable solution for anyone itching to grow.

What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?

OXO is already the third-largest language service provider in Canada. Our goal for the next 5 years is to become #2.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?

Our biggest challenge has been rapid growth. When you suddenly have 100 employees instead of 30, you need to be a lot more organized and structured in terms of HR.

It’s easy to get swept up by day-to-day operations and not be proactive enough about that.

How do people get involved/buy into your vision?

We want to work with companies that are in the early stages of their globalization and are looking for a strategic partner, not just a translation provider. If that sounds like you, reach out to us at montreal@oxoinnovation.com.