As a former corporate finance and investment analyst turned translator, I know what market professionals are looking for.

I’m Frances. I help German-speaking businesses and entrepreneurs reach the international market in English. Whether you’re preparing your accounts, getting out a press release or speaking at an AGM, my first-hand experience can help you communicate clearly and consistently with the English-speaking world.

Here’s my story…

Where it all began…

I grew up watching my Dad work hard to build an extremely successful career in banking and corporate finance. Though he often worked long hours, he never missed important family events. And even as a little kid, I could see he loved what he did: the puzzle of finding the right solution, the joy of meeting new clients, and the fascination of delving into different industries so he could show his clients he spoke their language.

For as long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

Foundations in finance

I completed my undergraduate degree in German and Italian at Durham University, spending a year at SAP near Heidelberg and an internship with Dresdner Kleinwort in London along the way. After graduating in 2008, I joined the Financial Institutions desk at Lazard the week Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy. What an introduction to the financial markets that was!

After several years in London as a corporate finance and investment analyst, I realised I wanted to return to my roots as a linguist – and Frances Clarke Translations was born.

More than a decade of translation expertise

I’ve been supporting SMEs, asset management firms and equity research teams ever since, translating corporate communications and investor relations content throughout the reporting cycle and beyond, and keeping pace with changes to accounting standards and reporting requirements along the way.

In 2021, I was named one of two winners of the Geisteswissenschaften International Non-Fiction Translation (GINT) Prize, before being named among the runners-up in the Austrian Cultural Forum’s own Translation Prize in 2024.

I’ve been a Qualified Member of the UK’s Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) for more than five years, and also serve as the Outreach Coordinator for the ITI’s East Anglia Network to help forge links with the region’s universities and businesses, and as the Coordinator of the ITI’s Legal, Insurance and Finance Translators’ Network.

The next chapter…

As the world rushes to embrace AI and automation in almost every aspect of our personal and professional lives, I believe it is more important than ever to preserve and enhance the skills and craft that set us apart as humans.

If you are looking for someone to treat your business’s communications with the same care and attention that you do, please get in touch. I’d love to help you tell the world your company’s story.

Qualifications Awards and Volunteering

  • 2008 BA (German and Italian), Durham University

  • 2013 Diploma in Translation, Chartered Institute of Linguists

  • 2019 Qualified Member of Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI)

  • 2021 Winner, Geisteswissenschaften International Non-Fiction Translators’ Prize

  • 2024 Runner-up, Austrian Cultural Forum Translation Prize

  • 2024 - present Outreach Coordinator, ITI East Anglia

  • 2025 - present Coordinator, ITI Legal, Insurance and Finance Translators’ (LIFT) Network

Testimonials

  • "Frances provides translations of a very high quality standard. Her translations read very well, and she has excellent knowledge in her specialist field of finance. She is very client-focused, friendly and professional."

    — HELMUT MALINOWSKI
    OWNER, MALINOWSKI & PARTNER

  • "Frances' work is very much appreciated by our clients. A consummate professional with excellent communication skills and customer focus. She is a credit to her profession."

    — BRIAN LEE
    SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER, SPORTS TRANSLATIONS

  • "Frances Clarke’s translation stood out for her fine sense of when to tweak the wording and syntax to enhance the text’s accessibility to its new target readership, resulting in ingenious solutions to thorny problems and a smooth overall tone."

    - JURY VERDICT,
    GINT TRANSLATION PRIZE 2021