The Next Era of Enterprise Language Solutions Starts Here

For over twenty years we’ve been proving that professional expertise and intelligent technology are stronger together. Apertera is the next phase of our evolution.
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Our Story

Where it Began

In 2002, Gary Kalaci launched Alexa Translations. A lawyer, a court interpreter, and a UNICEF volunteer who had worked with refugees during the Kosovo crisis, Kalaci understood firsthand what language makes possible for people who need it most. That conviction shaped everything that followed.

The company grew steadily through the 2000s, built on deep domain expertise, white-glove service, and a belief that clients trusting you with their most critical documents deserved more than just a vendor. They deserved a partner.

Combining AI Technology and Human Expertise

By 2016, the translation industry was changing. Machine translation was disrupting the market and most companies were scrambling to adapt. Kalaci made a different bet: rather than treating AI as a replacement for specialist expertise, he saw it as something that could amplify it. In 2018, Alexa Translations began building what would become Adaptive AI technology, trained on legal, financial, and regulatory content, with professional translators guiding the way. The AI platform launched in 2019 and the company entered a rapid-growth phase.

Introducing Apertera

What began as a translation services firm has become a technology platform with deep professional expertise behind it, serving enterprises around the world. The name Apertera takes its meaning from aperture: the opening in a lens that determines what comes into focus and how much detail is revealed. It speaks to precision, to calibration, to knowing exactly what a moment requires. The era in Apertera is deliberate. This is a new chapter, built on twenty years of trust, and pointed squarely at what we’re building next.

  • Our mission

    Make precise, defensible translation a reliable part of how the world's most regulated organizations operate — across every language, jurisdiction, and deadline they answer to.

  • Our vision

    A future where translation is invisible: an integrated capability inside legal, financial, and operations teams, not a queue they wait on.

Values & Culture

Our Values

  • Innovation

    The Apertera team is made up of innovative thinkers who are continually curious. We ask the right questions and challenge the status quo. We aren't afraid to be audacious and optimistic. We are forever learning and open-minded to new ideas and approach.

  • Dedication

    Apertera consists of dedicated experts that are professional and reliable. We know our job and we do it well. We are leaders in our respective fields and we are experts at sharing that knowledge. While we are always ambitious and solution-driven, we don't allow ego or arrogance to cloud our judgement.

  • Fanaticism

    We take attention to detail to an entirely different level. The Apertera team has a fanatical commitment to service and quality. We consider the entire client experience, not just one aspect or interaction and we exceed expectations every step of the way. We do this by being good listeners and acutely understanding client needs and wants.

  • Resourcefulness

    The Apertera team is a group of resourceful self-starters. We hit the ground running, without the need for hand-holding. We are self-taught and always open to learning new things. Our mentality is one that seeks and proposes solutions versus problems. Lastly, we are all proactive and do our best to ensure we are prepared for whatever the future may bring.

  • Collaboration

    Our team works smarter by creating collaborative environments. That's why we welcome constructive and respectful disagreements and why we seek out benefits for all parties wherever possible to lift all boats. We know that requires clear communication and that often means communicating it seven times for it to really stick. We also don't wait for collaboration, we invite it whenever possible because we know the benefits it can bring.

Our Team

Meet the Apertera Team

The business leaders, domain experts, and technologists who built the world’s leading enterprise language solutions company.

  • Gary Kalaci

    Chief Executive Officer

    Founder and CEO with deep roots in legal and professional services, driving AI-powered translation innovation and enterprise growth.

  • Al Varney

    Al Varney

    President

    Senior executive leading overall business operations and scaling enterprise translation solutions across key industries.

  • Lulu Hernandez

    Lulu Hernandez

    VP, Client Success & Strategic Accounts

    Client success leader focused on enterprise relationships, retention, and strategic account growth.

  • Kathrin Botkin

    Kathrin Botkin

    Senior VP, Operations

    Operations executive overseeing delivery excellence, scalability, and process optimization.

  • Marie Julie Gagnon

    Marie-Julie Gagnon

    VP, Business Development

    Business development leader driving revenue growth and expansion across legal and financial sectors.

  • Craig McCannell

    Craig McCannell

    Chief Financial Officer

    Finance executive overseeing financial strategy, planning, and corporate performance.

  • Smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair portrait

    Taylor Roy

    VP, Client Solutions

    Delivering client-focused solutions that optimize workflows; specializing in legal and financial language services.

  • Renxian Zhang

    VP of AI Innovation

    Renxian Zhang is an AI/machine learning leader dedicated to transforming advanced GenAI research into translation products, measurable demos, and deployable modeling artifacts.

BOARD OF ADVISORS

Guided by some of the most respected names in law, finance, and business

Our advisory board brings decades of senior leadership experience across the domains and industries we serve.
  • Norman Steinberg

    Norman Steinberg

    Chair, Advisory Board

    Former global law firm chair and M&A expert with extensive board experience and leadership in legal and financial sectors.

  • Kent Jespersen

    Kent Jespersen

    Advisory Board

    Veteran executive and former advisory board chair with experience in technology, energy, and public service.

  • Caroline Codsi

    Caroline Codsi

    President & Founder

    Governance advocate and nonprofit leader focused on gender parity in leadership and corporate boards.

  • Tracie Crook

    Tracie Crook

    Chief Operating Officer

    Legal sector executive with deep experience in law firm operations and strategy.

  • Bindu Cudjoe

    Bindu Cudjoe

    Principal and Strategic Advisor

    Legal and corporate governance expert focused on innovation, diversity, and advisory leadership.

  • Robert Brouwer

    Robert D. Brouwer

    Vice-Chair

    Senior global markets executive with leadership across KPMG’s Americas and global client strategy.

Your Critical Content Deserves the Best Team in the Business

Let us show you how over twenty years of domain expertise and Adaptive AI technology can transform the way your organization handles legal, financial, and regulatory content.
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