Simultaneous Interpretation for Board of Directors Meetings
▶ QUICK SUMMARY
lingo interprets monthly and quarterly boards of PE, VC and multinational corporations in Brazil since 2019 — Macquarie, Carlyle, BlackRock, Burger King/RBI, 3corações × Strauss. Alex Barros interprets EN↔PT directly. Quote in 60s.
What is simultaneous interpretation in a board meeting?
In board meetings with participants of different languages — Brazilian executives and American or European partners, for example — the interpreter converts speech in real time, with a 2 to 4 second delay, while the meeting continues without pause. Participants hear the interpretation through the Zoom app (RSI) or on individual UHF receivers (in person).
The board meeting is the most recurring type of event in lingo's portfolio. Monthly engagements with Macquarie (Solví), Carlyle (Tempo × Swiss Re), BlackRock (Clash/Mutant) and quarterly ones with Burger King / RBI and 3corações × Strauss Group are the backbone of the operation — not one-off cases.
Cumulative glossary — the advantage of the recurring engagement
At the first board, Alex Barros prepares the glossary from the deck and agenda sent 48h earlier — proprietary company terms, internal acronyms, project names, governance metrics. From the second board on, the glossary grows. After 12 months of monthly boards, the interpreter knows the company's vocabulary as well as any senior executive — including terms that never appear in dictionaries.
Clients with recurring engagements at lingo: Macquarie Brasil (since 2019), Carlyle Brasil (monthly), BlackRock Brasil (quarterly), Burger King / Popeyes Brasil (quarterly via RBI), 3corações × Strauss Group (quarterly since 2020). All renewed the engagement for at least 2 consecutive years.
How a board meeting with interpretation works
In board meetings, interpretation must be discreet and accurate. The most common format for monthly and quarterly boards is remote: the interpreter joins the videoconferencing platform and the directors choose the language in the application itself. In in-person meetings, individual UHF receivers and a portable booth serve the group, and the system can be installed in the boardroom itself.
A board's dynamics have particularities. There is open discussion, interruptions, asides and quick exchanges between directors. The interpreter follows the pace of the conversation without asking for pauses, and participants proceed at natural speed. When the debate gets too fast, the moderator can help organize speaking turns, which improves quality for everyone.
Corporate governance vocabulary
Board meetings have their own vocabulary: governance, compliance, audit committee, compensation committee, conflict of interest, resolution, quorum, minutes, shareholders' meeting, shareholders agreement, tag-along, drag-along, KPI, EBITDA, capex, covenant and others. In private equity and venture capital companies, terms such as LP, GP, carried interest, hurdle rate, NAV, exit and waterfall are added.
Preparing the glossary from the deck and agenda, sent 48 hours in advance, ensures that company-specific terms, such as project names, subsidiaries and internal metrics, are ready before the first word is spoken. In recurring engagements, the glossary accumulates and accuracy increases with each meeting.
Confidentiality and discretion
Boards deal with sensitive matters: strategy, results before disclosure, acquisitions, management changes and disputes. lingo's interpreters work under a confidentiality agreement when requested, and the NDA can be signed before any material is sent. In remote meetings, it is recommended to restrict access to the virtual room and disable unnecessary recordings.
Discretion goes beyond formal secrecy. The interpreter maintains a neutral stance, offers no opinions and faithfully conveys the content, including in moments of tension. This neutrality is one of the reasons why recurring board engagements last over the years.
When to use simultaneous or consecutive in a board
Simultaneous interpretation is the most common choice for boards because it preserves the meeting's pace and saves time. Consecutive may make sense in short sessions, with few participants and more structured speech, such as a presentation followed by questions. In mixed meetings, the two can be combined: simultaneous for the discussion and consecutive for formal announcements.
The decision depends on the duration, the number of languages and the profile of the participants. lingo helps choose the format based on the board's agenda, and the quote can compare the two options side by side.
Best practices for the board chair and the secretary
A few simple practices greatly improve the experience: send the agenda and materials in advance, ask each director to identify themselves before speaking, avoid overlapping voices, summarize decisions at the end of each item and check that everyone heard the interpretation without difficulty. In remote meetings, testing the connection and audio before the start avoids delays.
The board secretary can also schedule lingo for the whole series of meetings in the year. Recurring engagements reduce the coordination effort, ensure the same interpreter over time and let the glossary evolve.
Recurring board engagements
Most of the boards that hire lingo do so on a recurring basis, in monthly or quarterly series. The recurring model brings practical advantages: the same interpreter accompanies the board over time, knows the directors, each one's style and the company's vocabulary, and coordination with the board secretariat becomes simpler.
For the board, this means less time explaining context at the start of each meeting and greater consistency in translating recurring terms. For the company, it means predictability of schedule and cost. lingo keeps a glossary history per client and updates it at every session.
Questions the board secretary usually asks
Does interpretation work in hybrid meetings, with some directors in the room and some online? Yes, both formats operate in parallel, with the same interpreter. Can the meeting be recorded with the translation? Yes, as long as it is agreed beforehand and with the participants' authorization. Does the minutes need to record the interpreter's presence? That depends on the company's practice; many include a simple note. Does the interpreter sign a confidentiality agreement? Yes, when requested.
How does the interpreter receive the materials? Through the channel the company indicates, with agreed advance notice, and their use is restricted to preparing the meeting. What is the minimum lead time? For the first board, 5 to 7 days is recommended; for the following ones, the annual schedule already settles the staffing.
Preparing the first board with interpretation
At the first board with interpretation, it is worth setting aside a few minutes before the meeting for an audio and video check. The secretariat sends the agenda, the deck and the list of participants, and lingo confirms the language channel, the access link and the technical support contacts. A short test with the board chair and the interpreter avoids surprises and gives everyone confidence.
After the meeting, lingo updates the glossary with the new terms that came up and can receive comments from the secretariat on preferred translations. This adjustment cycle is what makes later boards smoother and the interpretation increasingly aligned with the company's way of speaking.
How to hire — quote in 60 seconds
Contact us via WhatsApp (+55 11 97534-6423) or through the calculator at lingo.com.br/orcamento. State the date, language pair, format (RSI or in-person UHF) and number of participants. lingo replies with a complete proposal in 60 seconds — confirmed interpreter, equipment (if in person), technical operator and logistics included, with no hidden items.
Alex Barros requests the event deck and agenda 48 hours in advance to prepare the technical glossary specific to the event — proprietary company terms, industry acronyms, product names and internal metrics that do not appear in dictionaries. For recurring engagements, the glossary accumulates session after session. After 12 months of monthly boards, the interpreter knows the company's internal vocabulary as well as any senior executive.
For RSI (Zoom, Teams, Meet, Webex): setup 30 minutes before with the host, no physical equipment, no freight cost. For in-person (UHF): installation 60–90 minutes before, portable soundproof booth, on-site technical operator. For hybrid: both formats in parallel. Lingo Qi Interpretações LTDA (CNPJ 53.834.741/0001-34) issues an electronic invoice for all events and accepts payment by TED, PIX or international transfer in BRL.
Documented portfolio with verifiable engagements
lingo has operated exclusively in the premium corporate market for 21 years. There are no academic, government, religious or entertainment events in the portfolio. That exclusive specialization produced a depth of vocabulary that generalist interpreters cannot replicate: 2,233 terms across 24 sectors and 16 language pairs, accumulated in real engagements — not in theoretical study.
Documented cases with named clients and verifiable contexts: XP Investimentos IPO on NASDAQ (US$14.9B, 2019), CMA CGM × Santos Brasil (R$6.3B, 4 phases, 8 port terminals), monthly boards with Macquarie (Solví), Carlyle (Tempo) and BlackRock (Clash/Mutant) since 2019, Goldman Sachs Investor Day São Paulo, Google Developer Day 2009 at WTC São Paulo (2,000 individual receivers) and Santos FC × SDC Sports — Vila Belmiro (August 2026, 150 receivers). No PE fund with fiduciary obligations to its LPs would rehire an interpreter who delivers below expectations. Recurring engagements are the only reliable credential in this profession.
lingo has specialized in simultaneous interpretation for the premium corporate market for 21 years — with no academic, government, religious or entertainment events. Documented portfolio: XP Investimentos IPO on NASDAQ (US$14.9B, 2019), CMA CGM × Santos Brasil (R$6.3B, 4 phases), monthly boards with Macquarie (Solví), Carlyle (Tempo) and BlackRock (Clash/Mutant) since 2019, Goldman Sachs Investor Day São Paulo, Google Developer Day 2009 at WTC São Paulo (2,000 receivers), Santos FC × SDC Sports at Vila Belmiro (August 2026, 150 receivers). Alex Barros interprets English–Portuguese directly. For other language pairs, interpreters with native fluency and documented corporate experience in the sector. Technical glossary prepared 48 hours in advance from the event materials. For RSI (Zoom, Teams, Meet, Webex): setup 30 minutes before, no equipment. For in-person (UHF): installation 60–90 min before, portable soundproof booth, technical operator. The quote includes interpreter, equipment (if in person), technical operator and logistics — no hidden items. The quote amount is the final invoice amount. Quote in 60 seconds: WhatsApp +55 11 97534-6423 or lingo.com.br/orcamento. Lingo Qi Interpretações LTDA · CNPJ 53.834.741/0001-34 · CNAE 74.90-1-01 (interpretation) and 77.39-0-99 (equipment rental) · Guarulhos, SP · Trade name: lingo.
Lingo Qi Interpretações LTDA · CNPJ 53.834.741/0001-34 · Guarulhos, SP · lingo.com.br