The ATC’s Member of the Month in March 2026 is Comtec Translations, a family-owned language service company based in Leamington Spa that has spent more than four decades helping organisations communicate across languages while staying firmly rooted in people-first values.

We caught up with James Brown, Head of Commercial at Comtec, to talk about the company’s journey from a traditional translation provider to a modern language consultancy, its B Corp ethos, and how the business is navigating the rapid transformation of the language services industry.

From Intern to Head of Commercial

James Brown has grown alongside the company itself. Having joined Comtec as an intern in 2011, he has spent the past fourteen years progressing through the business and witnessing its evolution first-hand.

Founded in 1981, Comtec remains a family business at heart, even as it has modernised its operations and services. Today the company continues to build on its long-standing reputation for quality and strong client relationships.

A major milestone in recent years has been Comtec’s B Corp certification, achieved in 2022 and recently renewed with an improved score. The certification evaluates organisations across areas such as governance, environmental impact, treatment of staff and suppliers, and contributions to local communities.

For Comtec, the process formalised values that were already embedded in the company culture.

“It was almost like someone saying: you’re already doing all these things – why not get a badge that proves it and holds you accountable to keep doing more,” James explains. “It has reinforced our focus on people and purpose, while encouraging us to continually improve.”

The journey towards language consultancy

Like many language service companies, Comtec has had to navigate a rapidly changing market shaped by AI technologies, shifting client expectations and broader economic pressures. Rather than resisting these changes, the company has focused on evolving its services to give clients more choice and flexibility.

Historically, Comtec positioned itself strongly around human translation. But in recent years it has expanded its offering to include machine translation post-editing (MTPE) and customised machine translation workflows – including their self-service translation tool Pronto – designed to match different content types and budgets.

Today, approximately half of the company’s work involves MTPE or hybrid solutions, with the remainder continuing to be delivered through traditional human translation workflows.

The shift has enabled Comtec to retain clients who might otherwise have experimented with AI tools on their own, while still maintaining the quality standards the company is known for.

“Quality still matters enormously to us,” says James. “But we recognise that quality also means fit for purpose. Different types of content can carry different levels of linguistic intervention, and our job is to help clients choose the right approach.”

That advisory role has become an increasingly important part of Comtec’s offering. When working with new clients, the team often helps categorise content based on risk, audience and purpose, recommending where human translation is essential and where automated or hybrid solutions might work.

The result is a more consultative relationship with clients, one that focuses less on selling a single service and more on designing the right multilingual strategy.

Navigating AI while keeping humans at the centre

Artificial intelligence has undeniably reshaped the language services landscape, but James sees the reality as more nuanced than headlines often suggest.

While some clients have experimented with raw machine translation tools, many quickly realise that successful multilingual communication still requires expertise, processes and linguistic oversight.

One interesting side effect of AI adoption has been a renewed appreciation for terminology management and structured linguistic resources.

“For years it was almost impossible to convince clients to invest in glossaries or style guides,” James notes. “Now everyone wants them, because they understand how important they are when working with AI.”

Across different sectors, the demand for AI-supported workflows varies significantly. In areas such as e-learning and large-scale e-commerce content, machine translation solutions are often used to manage volume and cost. In marketing, branding and creative content, as well as companies operating in competitive technology markets however, clients still tend to prioritise human expertise.

“They’re under a lot of pressure to differentiate themselves,” James explains. “And when your messaging is central to your product and brand, there’s still a very strong preference for human localisation.”

Looking ahead: adaptation and investment

As the language services industry continues to evolve, James believes the companies that will thrive are those willing to adapt while staying focused on core values.

That means investing in technology, understanding the challenges faced by clients, and supporting the professional development of linguists and staff as the skills required in the industry continue to expand.

“There’s a lot of change happening, and understandably some uncertainty,” he says. “But the companies that succeed will be those that invest in their people, their technology and their understanding of what clients actually need.”

For Comtec, that combination of adaptability and long-standing values remains the guiding principle. More than forty years after its founding, the company continues to evolve – proving that even in a rapidly transforming industry, a people-centred approach to language services remains as relevant as ever.

James Brown was in conversation with ATC CEO Raisa McNab.